2024-07-30MunicipalFixedIncomeFunds-Retail
| |
|
Prospectus November
1, 2024 |
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
| |
Fund |
Administrator
Class |
Allspring
California Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund |
SCTIX |
Allspring
California Tax-Free Fund |
SGCAX |
Allspring
High Yield Municipal Bond Fund |
WHYDX |
Allspring
Intermediate Tax/AMT-Free Fund |
WFITX |
Allspring
Minnesota Tax-Free Fund |
NWMIX |
Allspring
Municipal Bond Fund |
WMFDX |
Allspring
Short-Term Municipal Bond Fund |
WSTMX |
Allspring
Strategic Municipal Bond Fund |
VMPYX |
Allspring
Ultra Short-Term Municipal Income Fund |
WUSMX |
The
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved
these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus.
Anyone who tells you
otherwise is committing a crime.
California
Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund Summary
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax and California
individual income tax, consistent with capital
preservation.
Fees
and Expenses
These
tables are intended to help you understand the various costs and expenses you
will pay if you buy, hold and sell shares
of the Fund.
| |
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
|
|
Maximum
sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
Maximum
deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
| |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage
of the value of your investment)
|
|
|
Management
Fees |
0.40% |
Distribution
(12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
0.41% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.81% |
Fee
Waivers |
(0.21)% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers1
|
% |
1. |
The
Manager has contractually committed through October
31, 2025,
to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary
to cap Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver at
0.60%
for Administrator
Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp
duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and
extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense
cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be
increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may
be terminated only with the approval of the Board of
Trustees. |
Example
of Expenses
The
example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the Fund
with the costs of investing in other
funds. The example assumes a $10,000 initial investment, 5% annual total return,
and that fees and expenses remain
the same as in the tables above. To the extent that the Manager is waiving fees
or reimbursing expenses, the example
assumes that such waiver or reimbursement will only be in place through the date
noted above. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs
would be:
| |
|
|
After:
|
|
1
Year |
$61 |
3
Years |
$238 |
5
Years |
$429 |
10
Years |
$982 |
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 rate 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 24% of
the average value of its portfolio.
2 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal
securities whose interest is exempt from federal income tax,
including
federal alternative minimum tax (AMT), and California individual income
tax; |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s net assets in securities whose interest is subject to
federal income tax, including federal AMT; |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities whose interest is exempt from federal
income tax, including federal AMT, and
California individual income tax. Our investment holdings may include municipal
securities issued by the state of California
and its subdivisions, authorities, instrumentalities and corporations, as well
as municipal securities issued by the
territories and possessions of the United States. Some of the securities may be
below investment grade or may be unrated
and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also invest a portion of
the Fund’s net assets in securities
whose interest is subject to federal income tax, including federal
AMT. We may use futures for duration and yield
curve management. While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal
circumstances, we expect the
Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be between 2 and 7
years.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
Principal
Investment Risks
An
investment in the Fund may lose money, is
not a deposit of a bank or its affiliates, is not insured or guaranteed by
the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental
agency,
and is primarily subject to the risks briefly
summarized below.
Market
Risk.
The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the Fund may
decline due to general market
conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of
such securities. Securities markets are
volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer,
regulatory, political, or economic developments.
Different sectors of the market and different security types may react
differently to such developments.
Debt
Securities Risk.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk
is the possibility that the issuer
or guarantor of a debt security may be unable, or perceived to be unable or
unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal
when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could
decline and the Fund could lose money.
Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality or financial strength
declines. Interest rate risk is the possibility that
interest rates will change over time. When interest rates rise, the value of
debt securities tends to fall. The longer the
terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is subject to
this risk. If interest rates decline, interest
that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also
decline, which could cause the Fund to
reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those securities
may increase. Very low or negative interest
rates may magnify interest rate risk.
Municipal
Securities Risk.
Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing
authority of a
local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project
or specific assets, or by the credit of, or
liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Various types of municipal
securities are often related in such a way
that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could
affect other municipal securities held
by a Fund.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 3 |
State
Emphasis Risk.
Securities issued by a particular state and its subdivisions, authorities,
instrumentalities and corporations
are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments occurring in such state.
Such developments may adversely
impact the liquidity and value of the municipal securities in which a Fund
invests and, in turn, adversely impact
the value of the Fund’s shares.
Derivatives
Risk.
The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, can lead
to losses, including those
magnified by leverage, particularly when derivatives are used to enhance return
rather than mitigate risk. Certain derivative
instruments may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it
would be appropriate to do so, or the
other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its
contractual obligations.
Futures
Contracts Risk.
A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject
to the risk of loss caused
by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an
imperfect correlation between the movement
in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments
or indexes, and there may at times
not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures
contracts.
High
Yield Securities Risk.
High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly
known as “junk
bonds”) are considered speculative and have a much greater risk of default or of
not returning principal and their values
tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar
maturities.
Inverse
Floater Risk.
The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more
than its principal investment.
An inverse floater produces less income and may decline in value when market
rates and the rate payable on
the floater rises. An inverse floater typically involves leverage, which may
magnify a Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater
price and income volatility than an unleveraged bond with a similar
maturity.
Management
Risk.
Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a
Fund’s manager or sub-adviser
in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce expected
returns, may cause the Fund’s
shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with
similar investment objectives.
4 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Performance
The
following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the
Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s
performance from year to year.
The Fund’s average annual total returns are compared to the performance of one
or
more indices. The Fund’s Regulatory Benchmark is a broad-based index that
represents the overall securities markets
relative to the Fund’s asset category while the Fund’s Strategy Benchmark is
most closely aligned with the Fund’s
investment universe based on its investment
strategy. Past
performance before and after taxes is no guarantee of
future results.
Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website at
allspringglobal.com.
|
| |
Calendar
Year Total Returns for Administrator Class as of 12/31 each
year |
|
Highest
Quarter: December
31, 2023 |
|
Lowest
Quarter: March
31,
2022 |
|
Year-to-date
total return
as of September
30, 2024
is +2.60% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Average
Annual Total Returns for the periods ended
12/31/2023 |
|
Inception
Date
of Share
Class |
1
Year |
5
Year |
10
Year |
Administrator
Class (before taxes) |
9/6/1996
|
4.32% |
1.14% |
1.41% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions) |
9/6/1996
|
3.34% |
0.77% |
1.23% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions and the
sale of Fund Shares) |
9/6/1996
|
2.54% |
0.96% |
1.34% |
Bloomberg
California Municipal 1-5 Year Blend Index
(Strategy Benchmark) (reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses, or taxes) |
|
3.61% |
1.32% |
1.31% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond 1-5 Year Blend Index (reflects
no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) |
|
3.76% |
1.51% |
1.44% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond Index (Regulatory Benchmark)
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses,
or taxes) |
|
6.40% |
2.25% |
3.03% |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect
the impact of state, local or foreign taxes.
Actual
after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ
from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt
investors or investors who hold their
Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) Plans or
Individual Retirement
Accounts.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 5 |
Fund
Management
|
| |
Manager |
Sub-Adviser |
Portfolio
Manager, Title/Managed Since |
Allspring
Funds Management,
LLC |
Allspring
Global Investments,
LLC |
Terry
J. Goode,
Portfolio Manager / 2011 Kim
Nakahara,
Portfolio Manager / 2020 Adrian
Van Poppel,
Portfolio Manager / 2009 |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
Administrator
Class shares are generally available through intermediaries for the accounts of
their customers and directly
to institutional investors and individuals. Institutional investors may include
corporations; private banks and trust
companies; endowments and foundations; defined contribution, defined benefit and
other employer sponsored retirement
plans; institutional retirement plan platforms; insurance companies; registered
investment advisor firms; bank
trusts; 529 college savings plans; family offices; and funds of funds, including
those managed by Allspring Funds Management.
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund online or by mail, phone or
wire, on any day the New York
Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. You also may buy and sell shares
through a financial professional.
| |
Minimum
Investments |
To
Buy or Sell Shares |
Minimum
Initial Investment Administrator
Class: $1 million (this amount may be reduced
or eliminated for certain eligible investors)
Minimum
Additional Investment Administrator
Class: None |
Mail:
Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967 Online:
allspringglobal.com Phone
or Wire:
1-800-222-8222 Contact
your financial professional. |
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions normally consist of exempt-interest dividends, which are
generally not taxable to you for federal
income tax purposes, but may be subject to federal AMT. A portion of
the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest
dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless
you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or
an individual retirement account. However,
subsequent withdrawals from such a tax advantaged investment plan may be subject
to federal income tax. You
should consult your tax adviser about your specific situation.
Payments
to Intermediaries
If
you purchase a Fund through an intermediary, 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 intermediary
and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Consult your financial professional
or visit your intermediary’s website for more information.
6 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
California
Tax-Free Fund Summary
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax and California
individual income tax.
Fees
and Expenses
These
tables are intended to help you understand the various costs and expenses you
will pay if you buy, hold and sell shares
of the Fund.
| |
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
|
|
Maximum
sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
Maximum
deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
| |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage
of the value of your investment)
|
|
|
Management
Fees |
0.39% |
Distribution
(12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
0.39% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.78% |
Fee
Waivers |
(0.23)% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers1
|
% |
1. |
The
Manager has contractually committed through October
31, 2025,
to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary
to cap Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver at
0.55%
for Administrator
Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp
duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and
extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense
cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be
increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may
be terminated only with the approval of the Board of
Trustees. |
Example
of Expenses
The
example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the Fund
with the costs of investing in other
funds. The example assumes a $10,000 initial investment, 5% annual total return,
and that fees and expenses remain
the same as in the tables above. To the extent that the Manager is waiving fees
or reimbursing expenses, the example
assumes that such waiver or reimbursement will only be in place through the date
noted above. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs
would be:
| |
|
|
After:
|
|
1
Year |
$56 |
3
Years |
$226 |
5
Years |
$411 |
10
Years |
$945 |
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 rate 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 26% of
the average value of its portfolio.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 7 |
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, including
federal alternative minimum tax (AMT), and California individual income
tax; |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s net assets in securities whose interest is subject to
federal income tax, including federal AMT; |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities whose interest is exempt from federal
income tax, including federal AMT, and
California individual income tax. Our investment holdings may include municipal
securities issued by the state of California
and its subdivisions, authorities, instrumentalities and corporations, as well
as municipal securities issued by the
territories and possessions of the United States. Some of the securities may be
below investment grade or may be unrated
and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also invest a portion of
the Fund’s net assets in securities
whose interest is subject to federal income tax, including federal
AMT. We may use futures for duration and yield
curve management. While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal
circumstances, we expect the
Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be between 3 and 20
years.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
The
Fund is considered to be non-diversified.
Principal
Investment Risks
An
investment in the Fund may lose money, is
not a deposit of a bank or its affiliates, is not insured or guaranteed by
the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental
agency,
and is primarily subject to the risks briefly
summarized below.
Market
Risk.
The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the Fund may
decline due to general market
conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of
such securities. Securities markets are
volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer,
regulatory, political, or economic developments.
Different sectors of the market and different security types may react
differently to such developments.
Debt
Securities Risk.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk
is the possibility that the issuer
or guarantor of a debt security may be unable, or perceived to be unable or
unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal
when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could
decline and the Fund could lose money.
Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality or financial strength
declines. Interest rate risk is the possibility that
interest rates will change over time. When interest rates rise, the value of
debt securities tends to fall. The longer the
terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is subject to
this risk. If interest rates decline, interest
that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also
decline, which could cause the Fund to
reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those securities
may increase. Very low or negative interest
rates may magnify interest rate risk.
Municipal
Securities Risk.
Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing
authority of a
local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project
or specific assets, or by the credit of, or
liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Various types of municipal
securities are often related in such a way
that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could
affect other municipal securities held
by a Fund.
8 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
State
Emphasis Risk.
Securities issued by a particular state and its subdivisions, authorities,
instrumentalities and corporations
are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments occurring in such state.
Such developments may adversely
impact the liquidity and value of the municipal securities in which a Fund
invests and, in turn, adversely impact
the value of the Fund’s shares.
Non-Diversification
Risk.
A Fund that is considered “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended,
is more vulnerable to market or economic events impacting issuers of individual
portfolio securities than a “diversified”
fund. Default by the issuer of an individual security in such a Fund’s portfolio
may have a greater negative effect
on the Fund’s return or net asset value than it would on the return or net asset
value of a “diversified” fund.
Derivatives
Risk.
The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, can lead
to losses, including those
magnified by leverage, particularly when derivatives are used to enhance return
rather than mitigate risk. Certain derivative
instruments may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it
would be appropriate to do so, or the
other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its
contractual obligations.
Futures
Contracts Risk.
A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject
to the risk of loss caused
by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an
imperfect correlation between the movement
in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments
or indexes, and there may at times
not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures
contracts.
High
Yield Securities Risk.
High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly
known as “junk
bonds”) are considered speculative and have a much greater risk of default or of
not returning principal and their values
tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar
maturities.
Inverse
Floater Risk.
The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more
than its principal investment.
An inverse floater produces less income and may decline in value when market
rates and the rate payable on
the floater rises. An inverse floater typically involves leverage, which may
magnify a Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater
price and income volatility than an unleveraged bond with a similar
maturity.
Management
Risk.
Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a
Fund’s manager or sub-adviser
in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce expected
returns, may cause the Fund’s
shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with
similar investment objectives.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 9 |
Performance
The
following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the
Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s
performance from year to year.
The Fund’s average annual total returns are compared to the performance of one
or
more indices. The Fund’s Regulatory Benchmark is a broad-based index that
represents the overall securities markets
relative to the Fund’s asset category while the Fund’s Strategy Benchmark is
most closely aligned with the Fund’s
investment universe based on its investment
strategy. Past
performance before and after taxes is no guarantee of
future results.
Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website at
allspringglobal.com.
|
| |
Calendar
Year Total Returns for Administrator Class as of 12/31 each
year |
|
Highest
Quarter: December
31, 2023 |
|
Lowest
Quarter: March
31,
2022 |
|
Year-to-date
total return
as of September
30, 2024
is +3.11% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Average
Annual Total Returns for the periods ended
12/31/2023 |
|
Inception
Date
of Share
Class |
1
Year |
5
Year |
10
Year |
Administrator
Class (before taxes) |
12/15/1997
|
5.69% |
1.60% |
2.88% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions) |
12/15/1997
|
4.21% |
1.02% |
2.59% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions and the
sale of Fund Shares) |
12/15/1997
|
3.34% |
1.40% |
2.72% |
Bloomberg
California Municipal Bond Index (Strategy
Benchmark) (reflects no deduction for fees,
expenses, or taxes) |
|
6.22% |
2.25% |
3.10% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond Index (Regulatory Benchmark)
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses,
or taxes) |
|
6.40% |
2.25% |
3.03% |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect
the impact of state, local or foreign taxes.
Actual
after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ
from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt
investors or investors who hold their
Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) Plans or
Individual Retirement
Accounts.
10 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Fund
Management
|
| |
Manager |
Sub-Adviser |
Portfolio
Manager, Title/Managed Since |
Allspring
Funds Management,
LLC |
Allspring
Global Investments,
LLC |
Terry
J. Goode,
Portfolio Manager / 2011 Kim
Nakahara,
Portfolio Manager / 2020 Adrian
Van Poppel,
Portfolio Manager / 2009 |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
Administrator
Class shares are generally available through intermediaries for the accounts of
their customers and directly
to institutional investors and individuals. Institutional investors may include
corporations; private banks and trust
companies; endowments and foundations; defined contribution, defined benefit and
other employer sponsored retirement
plans; institutional retirement plan platforms; insurance companies; registered
investment advisor firms; bank
trusts; 529 college savings plans; family offices; and funds of funds, including
those managed by Allspring Funds Management.
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund online or by mail, phone or
wire, on any day the New York
Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. You also may buy and sell shares
through a financial professional.
| |
Minimum
Investments |
To
Buy or Sell Shares |
Minimum
Initial Investment Administrator
Class: $1 million (this amount may be reduced
or eliminated for certain eligible investors)
Minimum
Additional Investment Administrator
Class: None |
Mail:
Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967 Online:
allspringglobal.com Phone
or Wire:
1-800-222-8222 Contact
your financial professional. |
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions normally consist of exempt-interest dividends, which are
generally not taxable to you for federal
income tax purposes, but may be subject to federal AMT. A portion of
the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest
dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless
you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or
an individual retirement account. However,
subsequent withdrawals from such a tax advantaged investment plan may be subject
to federal income tax. You
should consult your tax adviser about your specific situation.
Payments
to Intermediaries
If
you purchase a Fund through an intermediary, 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 intermediary
and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Consult your financial professional
or visit your intermediary’s website for more information.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 11 |
High
Yield Municipal Bond Fund Summary
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks high current income exempt from federal income tax, and capital
appreciation.
Fees
and Expenses
These
tables are intended to help you understand the various costs and expenses you
will pay if you buy, hold and sell shares
of the Fund.
| |
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
|
|
Maximum
sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
Maximum
deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
| |
|
|
|
Management
Fees |
0.50% |
Distribution
(12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
0.52% |
Acquired
Fund Fees and Expenses |
0.00% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.02% |
Fee
Waivers |
(0.32)% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers2
|
% |
1. |
Expenses
have been adjusted as necessary from amounts incurred during the Fund’s
most recent fiscal year to reflect current fees and
expenses.
|
2. |
The
Manager has contractually committed through October
31, 2025,
to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary
to cap Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver at
0.70%
for Administrator
Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp
duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and
extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense
cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be
increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may
be terminated only with the approval of the Board of
Trustees. |
Example
of Expenses
The
example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the Fund
with the costs of investing in other
funds. The example assumes a $10,000 initial investment, 5% annual total return,
and that fees and expenses remain
the same as in the tables above. To the extent that the Manager is waiving fees
or reimbursing expenses, the example
assumes that such waiver or reimbursement will only be in place through the date
noted above. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs
would be:
| |
|
|
After:
|
|
1
Year |
$72 |
3
Years |
$293 |
5
Years |
$532 |
10
Years |
$1,219 |
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 rate 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 33% of
the average value of its portfolio.
12 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not
necessarily federal alternative minimum tax
(“AMT”); |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest is subject
to federal
AMT; |
■ |
at
least 50% of the Fund’s total assets in municipal securities rated BBB and
below or comparable unrated municipal securities;
and |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities of states, territories and
possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt
from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. A substantial portion
of the securities will be rated BBB
and below or unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. Securities
rated BB and below are often called
“high yield” securities or “junk bonds”. We may invest in municipal debt of any
credit quality. We may also invest a
portion of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest is subject to
federal AMT. We may use futures for duration
and yield curve management. While we may purchase securities of any
maturity, under normal circumstances, we
expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be between 3 and
20 years. “Dollar-weighted
average effective maturity” is a measure of the average time until the final
payment of principal and interest
is due on fixed income securities in the Fund’s
portfolio.
We
may invest up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investments in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 20% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
Principal
Investment Risks
An
investment in the Fund may lose money, is
not a deposit of a bank or its affiliates, is not insured or guaranteed by
the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental
agency,
and is primarily subject to the risks briefly
summarized below.
Market
Risk.
The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the Fund may
decline due to general market
conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of
such securities. Securities markets are
volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer,
regulatory, political, or economic developments.
Different sectors of the market and different security types may react
differently to such developments.
Debt
Securities Risk.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk
is the possibility that the issuer
or guarantor of a debt security may be unable, or perceived to be unable or
unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal
when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could
decline and the Fund could lose money.
Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality or financial strength
declines. Interest rate risk is the possibility that
interest rates will change over time. When interest rates rise, the value of
debt securities tends to fall. The longer the
terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is subject to
this risk. If interest rates decline, interest
that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also
decline, which could cause the Fund to
reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those securities
may increase. Very low or negative interest
rates may magnify interest rate risk.
Municipal
Securities Risk.
Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing
authority of a
local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project
or specific assets, or by the credit of, or
liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Various types of municipal
securities are often related in such a way
that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could
affect other municipal securities held
by a Fund.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 13 |
High
Yield Securities Risk.
High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly
known as “junk
bonds”) are considered speculative and have a much greater risk of default or of
not returning principal and their values
tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar
maturities.
Derivatives
Risk.
The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, can lead
to losses, including those
magnified by leverage, particularly when derivatives are used to enhance return
rather than mitigate risk. Certain derivative
instruments may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it
would be appropriate to do so, or the
other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its
contractual obligations.
Futures
Contracts Risk.
A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject
to the risk of loss caused
by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an
imperfect correlation between the movement
in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments
or indexes, and there may at times
not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures
contracts.
Inverse
Floater Risk.
The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more
than its principal investment.
An inverse floater produces less income and may decline in value when market
rates and the rate payable on
the floater rises. An inverse floater typically involves leverage, which may
magnify a Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater
price and income volatility than an unleveraged bond with a similar
maturity.
Management
Risk.
Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a
Fund’s manager or sub-adviser
in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce expected
returns, may cause the Fund’s
shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with
similar investment objectives.
14 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Performance
The
following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the
Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s
performance from year to year.
The Fund’s average annual total returns are compared to the performance of one
or
more indices. The Fund’s Regulatory Benchmark is a broad-based index that
represents the overall securities markets
relative to the Fund’s asset category while the Fund’s Strategy Benchmark is
most closely aligned with the Fund’s
investment universe based on its investment
strategy. Past
performance before and after taxes is no guarantee of
future results.
Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website at
allspringglobal.com.
|
| |
Calendar
Year Total Returns for Administrator Class as of 12/31 each
year |
|
Highest
Quarter: December
31, 2023 |
|
Lowest
Quarter: March
31,
2022 |
|
Year-to-date
total return
as of September
30, 2024
is +6.58% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Average
Annual Total Returns for the periods ended
12/31/2023 |
|
Inception
Date
of Share
Class |
1
Year |
5
Year |
10
Year |
Administrator
Class (before taxes) |
1/31/2013
|
6.33% |
1.95% |
4.12% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions) |
1/31/2013
|
4.43% |
1.16% |
3.63% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions and the
sale of Fund Shares) |
1/31/2013
|
3.70% |
1.71% |
3.71% |
High
Yield Municipal Bond Blended Index (Strategy Benchmark)
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses,
or taxes)1
|
|
% |
% |
% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond Index (Regulatory Benchmark)
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses,
or taxes) |
|
6.40% |
2.25% |
3.03% |
1. |
Source:
Allspring
Funds Management, LLC. The High Yield Municipal Bond Blended Index is
composed 60% of the Bloomberg High Yield
Municipal Bond Index and 40% of the Bloomberg Municipal Bond
Index. You cannot invest directly in an
index. |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect
the impact of state, local or foreign taxes.
Actual
after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ
from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt
investors or investors who hold their
Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) Plans or
Individual Retirement
Accounts.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 15 |
Fund
Management
|
| |
Manager
|
Sub-Adviser |
Portfolio
Managers, Title/Managed Since |
Allspring
Funds Management,
LLC |
Allspring
Global Investments,
LLC |
Dennis
Derby,
Portfolio Manager / 2013 Terry
J. Goode,
Portfolio Manager / 2013 Kerry
Laurin,
Portfolio Manager / 2020 |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
Administrator
Class shares are generally available through intermediaries for the accounts of
their customers and directly
to institutional investors and individuals. Institutional investors may include
corporations; private banks and trust
companies; endowments and foundations; defined contribution, defined benefit and
other employer sponsored retirement
plans; institutional retirement plan platforms; insurance companies; registered
investment advisor firms; bank
trusts; 529 college savings plans; family offices; and funds of funds, including
those managed by Allspring Funds Management.
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund online or by mail, phone or
wire, on any day the New York
Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. You also may buy and sell shares
through a financial professional.
| |
Minimum
Investments |
To
Buy or Sell Shares |
Minimum
Initial Investment Administrator
Class: $1 million (this amount may be reduced
or eliminated for certain eligible investors)
Minimum
Additional Investment Administrator
Class: None |
Mail:
Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967 Online:
allspringglobal.com Phone
or Wire:
1-800-222-8222 Contact
your financial professional. |
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions normally consist of exempt-interest dividends, which are
generally not taxable to you for federal
income tax purposes, but may be subject to federal AMT. A portion of
the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest
dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless
you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or
an individual retirement account. However,
subsequent withdrawals from such a tax advantaged investment plan may be subject
to federal income tax. You
should consult your tax adviser about your specific situation.
Payments
to Intermediaries
If
you purchase a Fund through an intermediary, 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 intermediary
and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Consult your financial professional
or visit your intermediary’s website for more information.
16 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Intermediate
Tax/AMT-Free Fund Summary
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income
tax.
Fees
and Expenses
These
tables are intended to help you understand the various costs and expenses you
will pay if you buy, hold and sell shares
of the Fund.
| |
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
|
|
Maximum
sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
Maximum
deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
| |
|
|
|
Management
Fees |
0.39% |
Distribution
(12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
0.38% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.77% |
Fee
Waivers |
(0.17)% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers2
|
% |
1. |
Expenses
have been adjusted as necessary from amounts incurred during the Fund’s
most recent fiscal year to reflect current fees and
expenses.
|
2. |
The
Manager has contractually committed through October
31, 2025,
to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary
to cap Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver at
0.60%
for Administrator
Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp
duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and
extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense
cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be
increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may
be terminated only with the approval of the Board of
Trustees. |
Example
of Expenses
The
example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the Fund
with the costs of investing in other
funds. The example assumes a $10,000 initial investment, 5% annual total return,
and that fees and expenses remain
the same as in the tables above. To the extent that the Manager is waiving fees
or reimbursing expenses, the example
assumes that such waiver or reimbursement will only be in place through the date
noted above. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs
would be:
| |
|
|
After:
|
|
1
Year |
$61 |
3
Years |
$229 |
5
Years |
$411 |
10
Years |
$938 |
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 rate 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 10% of
the average value of its portfolio.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 17 |
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, including
federal alternative minimum tax
(AMT); |
■ |
up
to 15% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities of states,
territories and possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt
from federal income tax, including federal AMT. Some of the securities may be
below investment grade or unrated
and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, we do
not invest in securities whose
interest is subject to federal income tax, including federal AMT. We may use
futures for duration and yield curve management.
While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we
expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted
average effective maturity to be between 3 and 10
years.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
Principal
Investment Risks
An
investment in the Fund may lose money, is
not a deposit of a bank or its affiliates, is not insured or guaranteed by
the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental
agency,
and is primarily subject to the risks briefly
summarized below.
Market
Risk.
The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the Fund may
decline due to general market
conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of
such securities. Securities markets are
volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer,
regulatory, political, or economic developments.
Different sectors of the market and different security types may react
differently to such developments.
Debt
Securities Risk.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk
is the possibility that the issuer
or guarantor of a debt security may be unable, or perceived to be unable or
unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal
when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could
decline and the Fund could lose money.
Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality or financial strength
declines. Interest rate risk is the possibility that
interest rates will change over time. When interest rates rise, the value of
debt securities tends to fall. The longer the
terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is subject to
this risk. If interest rates decline, interest
that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also
decline, which could cause the Fund to
reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those securities
may increase. Very low or negative interest
rates may magnify interest rate risk.
Municipal
Securities Risk.
Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing
authority of a
local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project
or specific assets, or by the credit of, or
liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Various types of municipal
securities are often related in such a way
that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could
affect other municipal securities held
by a Fund.
Derivatives
Risk.
The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, can lead
to losses, including those
magnified by leverage, particularly when derivatives are used to enhance return
rather than mitigate risk. Certain derivative
instruments may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it
would be appropriate to do so, or the
other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its
contractual obligations.
18 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Futures
Contracts Risk.
A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject
to the risk of loss caused
by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an
imperfect correlation between the movement
in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments
or indexes, and there may at times
not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures
contracts.
High
Yield Securities Risk.
High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly
known as “junk
bonds”) are considered speculative and have a much greater risk of default or of
not returning principal and their values
tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar
maturities.
Inverse
Floater Risk.
The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more
than its principal investment.
An inverse floater produces less income and may decline in value when market
rates and the rate payable on
the floater rises. An inverse floater typically involves leverage, which may
magnify a Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater
price and income volatility than an unleveraged bond with a similar
maturity.
Management
Risk.
Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a
Fund’s manager or sub-adviser
in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce expected
returns, may cause the Fund’s
shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with
similar investment objectives.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 19 |
Performance
The
following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the
Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s
performance from year to year.
The Fund’s average annual total returns are compared to the performance of one
or
more indices. The Fund’s Regulatory Benchmark is a broad-based index that
represents the overall securities markets
relative to the Fund’s asset category while the Fund’s Strategy Benchmark is
most closely aligned with the Fund’s
investment universe based on its investment
strategy. Past
performance before and after taxes is no guarantee of
future results.
Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website at
allspringglobal.com.
|
| |
Calendar
Year Total Returns for Administrator Class as of 12/31 each
year |
|
Highest
Quarter: December
31, 2023 |
|
Lowest
Quarter: March
31,
2022 |
|
Year-to-date
total return
as of September
30, 2024
is +2.57% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Average
Annual Total Returns for the periods ended
12/31/2023 |
|
Inception
Date
of Share
Class |
1
Year |
5
Year |
10
Year |
Administrator
Class (before taxes) |
3/31/2008
|
4.84% |
1.89% |
2.34% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions) |
3/31/2008
|
3.61% |
1.04% |
1.90% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions and the
sale of Fund Shares) |
3/31/2008
|
2.84% |
1.19% |
1.95% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond 1-15 Year Blend Index (Strategy
Benchmark) (reflects no deduction for fees,
expenses, or taxes) |
|
5.26% |
2.17% |
2.58% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond Index (Regulatory Benchmark)
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses,
or taxes) |
|
6.40% |
2.25% |
3.03% |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect
the impact of state, local or foreign taxes.
Actual
after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ
from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt
investors or investors who hold their
Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) Plans or
Individual Retirement
Accounts.
20 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Fund
Management
|
| |
Manager |
Sub-Adviser |
Portfolio
Manager, Title/Managed Since |
Allspring
Funds Management,
LLC |
Allspring
Global Investments,
LLC |
Bruce
R. Johns,
Portfolio Manager / 2019 Robert
J. Miller,
Portfolio Manager / 2008 Adrian
Van Poppel,
Portfolio Manager / 2019 Nicholos
Venditti, CFA,
Portfolio Manager / 2020 |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
Administrator
Class shares are generally available through intermediaries for the accounts of
their customers and directly
to institutional investors and individuals. Institutional investors may include
corporations; private banks and trust
companies; endowments and foundations; defined contribution, defined benefit and
other employer sponsored retirement
plans; institutional retirement plan platforms; insurance companies; registered
investment advisor firms; bank
trusts; 529 college savings plans; family offices; and funds of funds, including
those managed by Allspring Funds Management.
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund online or by mail, phone or
wire, on any day the New York
Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. You also may buy and sell shares
through a financial professional.
| |
Minimum
Investments |
To
Buy or Sell Shares |
Minimum
Initial Investment Administrator
Class: $1 million (this amount may be reduced
or eliminated for certain eligible investors)
Minimum
Additional Investment Administrator
Class: None |
Mail:
Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967 Online:
allspringglobal.com Phone
or Wire:
1-800-222-8222 Contact
your financial professional. |
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions normally consist of exempt-interest dividends, which are
generally not taxable to you for federal
income tax purposes, but may be subject to federal AMT. A portion of
the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest
dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless
you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or
an individual retirement account. However,
subsequent withdrawals from such a tax advantaged investment plan may be subject
to federal income tax. You
should consult your tax adviser about your specific situation.
Payments
to Intermediaries
If
you purchase a Fund through an intermediary, 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 intermediary
and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Consult your financial professional
or visit your intermediary’s website for more information.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 21 |
Minnesota
Tax-Free Fund Summary
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax and Minnesota
individual income tax.
Fees
and Expenses
These
tables are intended to help you understand the various costs and expenses you
will pay if you buy, hold and sell shares
of the Fund.
| |
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
|
|
Maximum
sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
Maximum
deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
| |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage
of the value of your investment)
|
|
|
Management
Fees |
0.40% |
Distribution
(12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
0.46% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.86% |
Fee
Waivers |
(0.26)% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers1
|
% |
1. |
The
Manager has contractually committed through October
31, 2025,
to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary
to cap Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver at
0.60%
for Administrator
Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp
duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and
extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense
cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be
increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may
be terminated only with the approval of the Board of
Trustees. |
Example
of Expenses
The
example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the Fund
with the costs of investing in other
funds. The example assumes a $10,000 initial investment, 5% annual total return,
and that fees and expenses remain
the same as in the tables above. To the extent that the Manager is waiving fees
or reimbursing expenses, the example
assumes that such waiver or reimbursement will only be in place through the date
noted above. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs
would be:
| |
|
|
After:
|
|
1
Year |
$61 |
3
Years |
$248 |
5
Years |
$451 |
10
Years |
$1,037 |
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 rate 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 19% of
the average value of its portfolio.
22 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, including
federal alternative minimum tax (AMT), and Minnesota individual income
tax; |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s net assets in securities whose interest is subject to
federal income tax, including federal AMT; |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities whose interest is exempt
from federal income tax, including federal AMT, and
Minnesota individual income tax. Our investment holdings may include municipal
securities issued by the state of Minnesota
and its subdivisions, authorities, instrumentalities and corporations, as well
as municipal securities issued by the
territories and possessions of the United States. Some of the securities may be
below investment grade or may be unrated
and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also invest a portion of
the Fund’s net assets in securities
whose interest is subject to federal income tax, including federal
AMT. While the Fund is required, under normal
circumstances, to invest at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal
securities whose interest is exempt from
Minnesota individual income tax, we currently intend to manage the portfolio so
that at least 95% of the income generated
by the Fund is exempt from Minnesota individual income tax. We may use futures
for duration and yield curve
management. While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal
circumstances, we expect the Fund’s
dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be between 3 and 20
years.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
Principal
Investment Risks
An
investment in the Fund may lose money, is
not a deposit of a bank or its affiliates, is not insured or guaranteed by
the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental
agency,
and is primarily subject to the risks briefly
summarized below.
Market
Risk.
The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the Fund may
decline due to general market
conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of
such securities. Securities markets are
volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer,
regulatory, political, or economic developments.
Different sectors of the market and different security types may react
differently to such developments.
Debt
Securities Risk.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk
is the possibility that the issuer
or guarantor of a debt security may be unable, or perceived to be unable or
unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal
when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could
decline and the Fund could lose money.
Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality or financial strength
declines. Interest rate risk is the possibility that
interest rates will change over time. When interest rates rise, the value of
debt securities tends to fall. The longer the
terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is subject to
this risk. If interest rates decline, interest
that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also
decline, which could cause the Fund to
reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those securities
may increase. Very low or negative interest
rates may magnify interest rate risk.
Municipal
Securities Risk.
Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing
authority of a
local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project
or specific assets, or by the credit of, or
liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Various types of municipal
securities are often related in such a
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 23 |
way
that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could
affect other municipal securities held
by a Fund.
State
Emphasis Risk.
Securities issued by a particular state and its subdivisions, authorities,
instrumentalities and corporations
are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments occurring in such state.
Such developments may adversely
impact the liquidity and value of the municipal securities in which a Fund
invests and, in turn, adversely impact
the value of the Fund’s shares.
Derivatives
Risk.
The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, can lead
to losses, including those
magnified by leverage, particularly when derivatives are used to enhance return
rather than mitigate risk. Certain derivative
instruments may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it
would be appropriate to do so, or the
other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its
contractual obligations.
Futures
Contracts Risk.
A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject
to the risk of loss caused
by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an
imperfect correlation between the movement
in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments
or indexes, and there may at times
not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures
contracts.
High
Yield Securities Risk.
High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly
known as “junk
bonds”) are considered speculative and have a much greater risk of default or of
not returning principal and their values
tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar
maturities.
Inverse
Floater Risk.
The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more
than its principal investment.
An inverse floater produces less income and may decline in value when market
rates and the rate payable on
the floater rises. An inverse floater typically involves leverage, which may
magnify a Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater
price and income volatility than an unleveraged bond with a similar
maturity.
Management
Risk.
Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a
Fund’s manager or sub-adviser
in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce expected
returns, may cause the Fund’s
shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with
similar investment objectives.
24 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Performance
The
following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the
Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s
performance from year to year.
The Fund’s average annual total returns are compared to the performance of one
or
more indices. The Fund’s Regulatory Benchmark is a broad-based index that
represents the overall securities markets
relative to the Fund’s asset category while the Fund’s Strategy Benchmark is
most closely aligned with the Fund’s
investment universe based on its investment
strategy. Past
performance before and after taxes is no guarantee of
future results.
Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website at
allspringglobal.com.
|
| |
Calendar
Year Total Returns for Administrator Class as of 12/31 each
year |
|
Highest
Quarter: December
31, 2023 |
|
Lowest
Quarter: March
31,
2022 |
|
Year-to-date
total return
as of September
30, 2024
is +2.48% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Average
Annual Total Returns for the periods ended
12/31/2023 |
|
Inception
Date
of Share
Class |
1
Year |
5
Year |
10
Year |
Administrator
Class (before taxes) |
8/2/1993
|
4.18% |
1.76% |
2.43% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions) |
8/2/1993
|
3.08% |
1.33% |
2.18% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions and the
sale of Fund Shares) |
8/2/1993
|
2.46% |
1.48% |
2.29% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond Index (Strategy and Regulatory
Benchmark) (reflects no deduction for fees,
expenses, or taxes) |
|
6.40% |
2.25% |
3.03% |
Bloomberg
Minnesota Municipal Bond Index (reflects
no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) |
|
5.08% |
1.94% |
2.50% |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect
the impact of state, local or foreign taxes.
Actual
after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ
from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt
investors or investors who hold their
Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) Plans or
Individual Retirement
Accounts.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 25 |
Fund
Management
|
| |
Manager |
Sub-Adviser |
Portfolio
Manager, Title/Managed Since |
Allspring
Funds Management,
LLC |
Allspring
Global Investments,
LLC |
Bruce
R. Johns,
Portfolio Manager / 2012 Kerry
Laurin,
Portfolio Manager / 2020 |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
Administrator
Class shares are generally available through intermediaries for the accounts of
their customers and directly
to institutional investors and individuals. Institutional investors may include
corporations; private banks and trust
companies; endowments and foundations; defined contribution, defined benefit and
other employer sponsored retirement
plans; institutional retirement plan platforms; insurance companies; registered
investment advisor firms; bank
trusts; 529 college savings plans; family offices; and funds of funds, including
those managed by Allspring Funds Management.
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund online or by mail, phone or
wire, on any day the New York
Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. You also may buy and sell shares
through a financial professional.
| |
Minimum
Investments |
To
Buy or Sell Shares |
Minimum
Initial Investment Administrator
Class: $1 million (this amount may be reduced
or eliminated for certain eligible investors)
Minimum
Additional Investment Administrator
Class: None |
Mail:
Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967 Online:
allspringglobal.com Phone
or Wire:
1-800-222-8222 Contact
your financial professional. |
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions normally consist of exempt-interest dividends, which are
generally not taxable to you for federal
income tax purposes, but may be subject to federal AMT. A portion of
the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest
dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless
you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or
an individual retirement account. However,
subsequent withdrawals from such a tax advantaged investment plan may be subject
to federal income tax. You
should consult your tax adviser about your specific situation.
Payments
to Intermediaries
If
you purchase a Fund through an intermediary, 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 intermediary
and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Consult your financial professional
or visit your intermediary’s website for more information.
26 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Municipal
Bond Fund Summary
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income
tax.
Fees
and Expenses
These
tables are intended to help you understand the various costs and expenses you
will pay if you buy, hold and sell shares
of the Fund.
| |
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
|
|
Maximum
sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
Maximum
deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
| |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage
of the value of your investment)
|
|
|
Management
Fees |
0.33% |
Distribution
(12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
0.37% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.70% |
Fee
Waivers |
(0.1)% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers1
|
% |
1. |
The
Manager has contractually committed through October
31, 2025,
to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary
to cap Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver at
0.60%
for Administrator
Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp
duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and
extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense
cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be
increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may
be terminated only with the approval of the Board of
Trustees. |
Example
of Expenses
The
example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the Fund
with the costs of investing in other
funds. The example assumes a $10,000 initial investment, 5% annual total return,
and that fees and expenses remain
the same as in the tables above. To the extent that the Manager is waiving fees
or reimbursing expenses, the example
assumes that such waiver or reimbursement will only be in place through the date
noted above. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs
would be:
| |
|
|
After:
|
|
1
Year |
$61 |
3
Years |
$214 |
5
Years |
$380 |
10
Years |
$861 |
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 rate 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 15% of
the average value of its portfolio.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 27 |
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not
necessarily federal alternative minimum tax
(AMT); |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest
is subject to federal
AMT; |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities of states, territories and
possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt
from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the securities
may be below investment grade
or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also
invest a portion of the Fund’s assets
in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT. We may use
futures for duration and yield curve management.
While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we
expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted
average effective maturity to be between 3 and 20
years.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
Principal
Investment Risks
An
investment in the Fund may lose money, is
not a deposit of a bank or its affiliates, is not insured or guaranteed by
the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental
agency,
and is primarily subject to the risks briefly
summarized below.
Market
Risk.
The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the Fund may
decline due to general market
conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of
such securities. Securities markets are
volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer,
regulatory, political, or economic developments.
Different sectors of the market and different security types may react
differently to such developments.
Debt
Securities Risk.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk
is the possibility that the issuer
or guarantor of a debt security may be unable, or perceived to be unable or
unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal
when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could
decline and the Fund could lose money.
Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality or financial strength
declines. Interest rate risk is the possibility that
interest rates will change over time. When interest rates rise, the value of
debt securities tends to fall. The longer the
terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is subject to
this risk. If interest rates decline, interest
that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also
decline, which could cause the Fund to
reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those securities
may increase. Very low or negative interest
rates may magnify interest rate risk.
Municipal
Securities Risk.
Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing
authority of a
local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project
or specific assets, or by the credit of, or
liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Various types of municipal
securities are often related in such a way
that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could
affect other municipal securities held
by a Fund.
Derivatives
Risk.
The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, can lead
to losses, including those
magnified by leverage, particularly when derivatives are used to enhance return
rather than mitigate risk. Certain derivative
instruments may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it
would be appropriate to do so, or the
other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its
contractual obligations.
28 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Futures
Contracts Risk.
A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject
to the risk of loss caused
by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an
imperfect correlation between the movement
in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments
or indexes, and there may at times
not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures
contracts.
High
Yield Securities Risk.
High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly
known as “junk
bonds”) are considered speculative and have a much greater risk of default or of
not returning principal and their values
tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar
maturities.
Inverse
Floater Risk.
The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more
than its principal investment.
An inverse floater produces less income and may decline in value when market
rates and the rate payable on
the floater rises. An inverse floater typically involves leverage, which may
magnify a Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater
price and income volatility than an unleveraged bond with a similar
maturity.
Management
Risk.
Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a
Fund’s manager or sub-adviser
in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce expected
returns, may cause the Fund’s
shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with
similar investment objectives.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 29 |
Performance
The
following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the
Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s
performance from year to year.
The Fund’s average annual total returns are compared to the performance of one
or
more indices. The Fund’s Regulatory Benchmark is a broad-based index that
represents the overall securities markets
relative to the Fund’s asset category while the Fund’s Strategy Benchmark is
most closely aligned with the Fund’s
investment universe based on its investment
strategy. Past
performance before and after taxes is no guarantee of
future results.
Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website at
allspringglobal.com.
|
| |
Calendar
Year Total Returns for Administrator Class as of 12/31 each
year |
|
Highest
Quarter: December
31, 2023 |
|
Lowest
Quarter: March
31,
2022 |
|
Year-to-date
total return
as of September
30, 2024
is +3.03% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Average
Annual Total Returns for the periods ended
12/31/2023 |
|
Inception
Date
of Share
Class |
1
Year |
5
Year |
10
Year |
Administrator
Class (before taxes) |
4/8/2005
|
5.67% |
1.96% |
3.25% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions) |
4/8/2005
|
4.37% |
1.46% |
2.92% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions and the
sale of Fund Shares) |
4/8/2005
|
3.33% |
1.63% |
2.94% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond Index (Strategy and Regulatory
Benchmark) (reflects no deduction for fees,
expenses, or taxes) |
|
6.40% |
2.25% |
3.03% |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect
the impact of state, local or foreign taxes.
Actual
after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ
from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt
investors or investors who hold their
Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) Plans or
Individual Retirement
Accounts.
30 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Fund
Management
|
| |
Manager |
Sub-Adviser |
Portfolio
Manager, Title/Managed Since |
Allspring
Funds Management,
LLC |
Allspring
Global Investments,
LLC |
Terry
J. Goode,
Portfolio Manager / 2019 Robert
J. Miller,
Portfolio Manager / 2008 Nicholos
Venditti, CFA, Portfolio
Manager / 2020 |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
Administrator
Class shares are generally available through intermediaries for the accounts of
their customers and directly
to institutional investors and individuals. Institutional investors may include
corporations; private banks and trust
companies; endowments and foundations; defined contribution, defined benefit and
other employer sponsored retirement
plans; institutional retirement plan platforms; insurance companies; registered
investment advisor firms; bank
trusts; 529 college savings plans; family offices; and funds of funds, including
those managed by Allspring Funds Management.
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund online or by mail, phone or
wire, on any day the New York
Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. You also may buy and sell shares
through a financial professional.
| |
Minimum
Investments |
To
Buy or Sell Shares |
Minimum
Initial Investment Administrator
Class: $1 million (this amount may be reduced
or eliminated for certain eligible investors)
Minimum
Additional Investment Administrator
Class: None |
Mail:
Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967 Online:
allspringglobal.com Phone
or Wire:
1-800-222-8222 Contact
your financial professional. |
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions normally consist of exempt-interest dividends, which are
generally not taxable to you for federal
income tax purposes, but may be subject to federal AMT. A portion of
the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest
dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless
you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or
an individual retirement account. However,
subsequent withdrawals from such a tax advantaged investment plan may be subject
to federal income tax. You
should consult your tax adviser about your specific situation.
Payments
to Intermediaries
If
you purchase a Fund through an intermediary, 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 intermediary
and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Consult your financial professional
or visit your intermediary’s website for more information.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 31 |
Short-Term
Municipal Bond Fund Summary
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax consistent with capital
preservation.
Fees
and Expenses
These
tables are intended to help you understand the various costs and expenses you
will pay if you buy, hold and sell shares
of the Fund.
| |
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
|
|
Maximum
sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
Maximum
deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
| |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage
of the value of your investment)
|
|
|
Management
Fees |
0.34% |
Distribution
(12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
0.37% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.71% |
Fee
Waivers |
(0.11)% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers1
|
% |
1. |
The
Manager has contractually committed through October
31, 2025,
to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary
to cap Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver at
0.60%
for Administrator
Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp
duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and
extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense
cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be
increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may
be terminated only with the approval of the Board of
Trustees. |
Example
of Expenses
The
example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the Fund
with the costs of investing in other
funds. The example assumes a $10,000 initial investment, 5% annual total return,
and that fees and expenses remain
the same as in the tables above. To the extent that the Manager is waiving fees
or reimbursing expenses, the example
assumes that such waiver or reimbursement will only be in place through the date
noted above. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs
would be:
| |
|
|
After:
|
|
1
Year |
$61 |
3
Years |
$216 |
5
Years |
$384 |
10
Years |
$872 |
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 rate 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 24% of
the average value of its portfolio.
32 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not
necessarily federal alternative minimum tax
(AMT); |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest
is subject to federal
AMT; |
■ |
up
to 15% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in short-term municipal securities of states, territories and
possessions of the United States whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the
securities may be below investment
grade or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may
also invest a portion of the
Fund’s assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT. We may use
futures for duration and yield curve management.
While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we
expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted
average effective maturity to be 3 years or
less.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
Principal
Investment Risks
An
investment in the Fund may lose money, is
not a deposit of a bank or its affiliates, is not insured or guaranteed by
the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental
agency,
and is primarily subject to the risks briefly
summarized below.
Market
Risk.
The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the Fund may
decline due to general market
conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of
such securities. Securities markets are
volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer,
regulatory, political, or economic developments.
Different sectors of the market and different security types may react
differently to such developments.
Debt
Securities Risk.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk
is the possibility that the issuer
or guarantor of a debt security may be unable, or perceived to be unable or
unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal
when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could
decline and the Fund could lose money.
Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality or financial strength
declines. Interest rate risk is the possibility that
interest rates will change over time. When interest rates rise, the value of
debt securities tends to fall. The longer the
terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is subject to
this risk. If interest rates decline, interest
that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also
decline, which could cause the Fund to
reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those securities
may increase. Very low or negative interest
rates may magnify interest rate risk.
Municipal
Securities Risk.
Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing
authority of a
local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project
or specific assets, or by the credit of, or
liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Various types of municipal
securities are often related in such a way
that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could
affect other municipal securities held
by a Fund.
Derivatives
Risk.
The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, can lead
to losses, including those
magnified by leverage, particularly when derivatives are used to enhance return
rather than mitigate risk. Certain derivative
instruments may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it
would be appropriate to do so, or the
other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its
contractual obligations.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 33 |
Futures
Contracts Risk.
A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject
to the risk of loss caused
by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an
imperfect correlation between the movement
in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments
or indexes, and there may at times
not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures
contracts.
High
Yield Securities Risk.
High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly
known as “junk
bonds”) are considered speculative and have a much greater risk of default or of
not returning principal and their values
tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar
maturities.
Inverse
Floater Risk.
The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more
than its principal investment.
An inverse floater produces less income and may decline in value when market
rates and the rate payable on
the floater rises. An inverse floater typically involves leverage, which may
magnify a Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater
price and income volatility than an unleveraged bond with a similar
maturity.
Management
Risk.
Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a
Fund’s manager or sub-adviser
in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce expected
returns, may cause the Fund’s
shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with
similar investment objectives.
34 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Performance
The
following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the
Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s
performance from year to year.
The Fund’s average annual total returns are compared to the performance of one
or
more indices. The Fund’s Regulatory Benchmark is a broad-based index that
represents the overall securities markets
relative to the Fund’s asset category while the Fund’s Strategy Benchmark is
most closely aligned with the Fund’s
investment universe based on its investment
strategy. Past
performance before and after taxes is no guarantee of
future results.
Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website at
allspringglobal.com.
|
| |
Calendar
Year Total Returns for Administrator Class as of 12/31 each
year |
|
Highest
Quarter: December
31, 2023 |
|
Lowest
Quarter: March
31,
2022 |
|
Year-to-date
total return
as of September
30, 2024
is +2.98% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Average
Annual Total Returns for the periods ended
12/31/2023 |
|
Inception
Date
of Share
Class |
1
Year |
5
Year |
10
Year |
Administrator
Class (before taxes) |
7/30/2010
|
3.56% |
1.07% |
1.02% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions) |
7/30/2010
|
2.66% |
0.63% |
0.79% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions and the
sale of Fund Shares) |
7/30/2010
|
2.10% |
0.74% |
0.88% |
Bloomberg
1-3 Year Composite Municipal Bond Index
(Strategy Benchmark) (reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses, or taxes) |
|
3.43% |
1.37% |
1.18% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond Index (Regulatory Benchmark)
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses,
or taxes) |
|
6.40% |
2.25% |
3.03% |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect
the impact of state, local or foreign taxes.
Actual
after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ
from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt
investors or investors who hold their
Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) Plans or
Individual Retirement
Accounts.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 35 |
Fund
Management
|
| |
Manager |
Sub-Adviser |
Portfolio
Manager, Title/Managed Since |
Allspring
Funds Management,
LLC |
Allspring
Global Investments,
LLC |
Bruce
R. Johns,
Portfolio Manager / 2019 Nicholos
Venditti, CFA, Portfolio
Manager / 2020 |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
Administrator
Class shares are generally available through intermediaries for the accounts of
their customers and directly
to institutional investors and individuals. Institutional investors may include
corporations; private banks and trust
companies; endowments and foundations; defined contribution, defined benefit and
other employer sponsored retirement
plans; institutional retirement plan platforms; insurance companies; registered
investment advisor firms; bank
trusts; 529 college savings plans; family offices; and funds of funds, including
those managed by Allspring Funds Management.
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund online or by mail, phone or
wire, on any day the New York
Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. You also may buy and sell shares
through a financial professional.
| |
Minimum
Investments |
To
Buy or Sell Shares |
Minimum
Initial Investment Administrator
Class: $1 million (this amount may be reduced
or eliminated for certain eligible investors)
Minimum
Additional Investment Administrator
Class: None |
Mail:
Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967 Online:
allspringglobal.com Phone
or Wire:
1-800-222-8222 Contact
your financial professional. |
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions normally consist of exempt-interest dividends, which are
generally not taxable to you for federal
income tax purposes, but may be subject to federal AMT. A portion of
the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest
dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless
you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or
an individual retirement account. However,
subsequent withdrawals from such a tax advantaged investment plan may be subject
to federal income tax. You
should consult your tax adviser about your specific situation.
Payments
to Intermediaries
If
you purchase a Fund through an intermediary, 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 intermediary
and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Consult your financial professional
or visit your intermediary’s website for more information.
36 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Strategic
Municipal Bond Fund Summary
Investment
Objective
The Fund
seeks current income exempt from regular federal income
tax.
Fees
and Expenses
These
tables are intended to help you understand the various costs and expenses you
will pay if you buy, hold and sell shares
of the Fund.
| |
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
|
|
Maximum
sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
Maximum
deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
| |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage
of the value of your investment)
|
|
|
Management
Fees |
0.37% |
Distribution
(12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
0.37% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.74% |
Fee
Waivers |
(0.06)% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers1
|
% |
1. |
The
Manager has contractually committed through October
31, 2025,
to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary
to cap Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver at
0.68%
for Administrator
Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp
duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and
extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense
cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be
increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may
be terminated only with the approval of the Board of
Trustees. |
Example
of Expenses
The
example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the Fund
with the costs of investing in other
funds. The example assumes a $10,000 initial investment, 5% annual total return,
and that fees and expenses remain
the same as in the tables above. To the extent that the Manager is waiving fees
or reimbursing expenses, the example
assumes that such waiver or reimbursement will only be in place through the date
noted above. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs
would be:
| |
|
|
After:
|
|
1
Year |
$69 |
3
Years |
$231 |
5
Years |
$406 |
10
Years |
$913 |
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 rate 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 11% of
the average value of its portfolio.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 37 |
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from regular federal income tax,
but not necessarily the federal alternative minimum tax
(AMT); |
■ |
up
to 35% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
■ |
any
amount in securities whose interest is subject to federal
AMT. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities of states, territories and
possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt
from regular federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the
securities may be below investment
grade or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may
also invest any amount of the
Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT. We
may use futures for duration and yield curve
management.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
While
we may purchase securities of any maturity or duration, under normal
circumstances, we expect the Fund’s overall
dollar-weighted average effective duration to be 6 years or
less.
Principal
Investment Risks
An
investment in the Fund may lose money, is
not a deposit of a bank or its affiliates, is not insured or guaranteed by
the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental
agency,
and is primarily subject to the risks briefly
summarized below.
Market
Risk.
The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the Fund may
decline due to general market
conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of
such securities. Securities markets are
volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer,
regulatory, political, or economic developments.
Different sectors of the market and different security types may react
differently to such developments.
Debt
Securities Risk.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk
is the possibility that the issuer
or guarantor of a debt security may be unable, or perceived to be unable or
unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal
when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could
decline and the Fund could lose money.
Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality or financial strength
declines. Interest rate risk is the possibility that
interest rates will change over time. When interest rates rise, the value of
debt securities tends to fall. The longer the
terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is subject to
this risk. If interest rates decline, interest
that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also
decline, which could cause the Fund to
reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those securities
may increase. Very low or negative interest
rates may magnify interest rate risk.
Municipal
Securities Risk.
Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing
authority of a
local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project
or specific assets, or by the credit of, or
liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Various types of municipal
securities are often related in such a way
that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could
affect other municipal securities held
by a Fund.
38 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Derivatives
Risk.
The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, can lead
to losses, including those
magnified by leverage, particularly when derivatives are used to enhance return
rather than mitigate risk. Certain derivative
instruments may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it
would be appropriate to do so, or the
other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its
contractual obligations.
Futures
Contracts Risk.
A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject
to the risk of loss caused
by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an
imperfect correlation between the movement
in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments
or indexes, and there may at times
not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures
contracts.
High
Yield Securities Risk.
High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly
known as “junk
bonds”) are considered speculative and have a much greater risk of default or of
not returning principal and their values
tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar
maturities.
Inverse
Floater Risk.
The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more
than its principal investment.
An inverse floater produces less income and may decline in value when market
rates and the rate payable on
the floater rises. An inverse floater typically involves leverage, which may
magnify a Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater
price and income volatility than an unleveraged bond with a similar
maturity.
Management
Risk.
Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a
Fund’s manager or sub-adviser
in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce expected
returns, may cause the Fund’s
shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with
similar investment objectives.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 39 |
Performance
The
following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the
Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s
performance from year to year.
The Fund’s average annual total returns are compared to the performance of one
or
more indices. The Fund’s Regulatory Benchmark is a broad-based index that
represents the overall securities markets
relative to the Fund’s asset category while the Fund’s Strategy Benchmark is
most closely aligned with the Fund’s
investment universe based on its investment
strategy. Past
performance before and after taxes is no guarantee of
future results.
Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website at
allspringglobal.com.
|
| |
Calendar
Year Total Returns for Administrator Class as of 12/31 each
year |
|
Highest
Quarter: December
31, 2023 |
|
Lowest
Quarter: March
31,
2022 |
|
Year-to-date
total return
as of September
30, 2024
is +3.32% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Average
Annual Total Returns for the periods ended
12/31/2023 |
|
Inception
Date
of Share
Class |
1
Year |
5
Year |
10
Year |
Administrator
Class (before taxes) |
10/6/1997
|
4.52% |
1.55% |
1.99% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions) |
10/6/1997
|
3.52% |
1.17% |
1.71% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions and the
sale of Fund Shares) |
10/6/1997
|
2.66% |
1.26% |
1.72% |
Bloomberg
Short-Intermediate Municipal Bond Index
(Strategy Benchmark) (reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses, or taxes) |
|
4.32% |
1.82% |
1.97% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond Index (Regulatory Benchmark)
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses,
or taxes) |
|
6.40% |
2.25% |
3.03% |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect
the impact of state, local or foreign taxes.
Actual
after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ
from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt
investors or investors who hold their
Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) Plans or
Individual Retirement
Accounts.
40 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Fund
Management
|
| |
Manager |
Sub-Adviser |
Portfolio
Manager, Title/Managed Since |
Allspring
Funds Management,
LLC |
Allspring
Global Investments,
LLC |
Terry
J. Goode,
Portfolio Manager / 2019 Robert
J. Miller,
Portfolio Manager / 2010 Nicholos
Venditti, CFA, Portfolio
Manager / 2020 |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
Administrator
Class shares are generally available through intermediaries for the accounts of
their customers and directly
to institutional investors and individuals. Institutional investors may include
corporations; private banks and trust
companies; endowments and foundations; defined contribution, defined benefit and
other employer sponsored retirement
plans; institutional retirement plan platforms; insurance companies; registered
investment advisor firms; bank
trusts; 529 college savings plans; family offices; and funds of funds, including
those managed by Allspring Funds Management.
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund online or by mail, phone or
wire, on any day the New York
Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. You also may buy and sell shares
through a financial professional.
| |
Minimum
Investments |
To
Buy or Sell Shares |
Minimum
Initial Investment Administrator
Class: $1 million (this amount may be reduced
or eliminated for certain eligible investors)
Minimum
Additional Investment Administrator
Class: None |
Mail:
Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967 Online:
allspringglobal.com Phone
or Wire:
1-800-222-8222 Contact
your financial professional. |
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions normally consist of exempt-interest dividends, which are
generally not taxable to you for federal
income tax purposes, but may be subject to federal AMT. A portion of
the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest
dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless
you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or
an individual retirement account. However,
subsequent withdrawals from such a tax advantaged investment plan may be subject
to federal income tax. You
should consult your tax adviser about your specific situation.
Payments
to Intermediaries
If
you purchase a Fund through an intermediary, 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 intermediary
and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Consult your financial professional
or visit your intermediary’s website for more information.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 41 |
Ultra
Short-Term Municipal Income Fund Summary
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax, consistent with
capital preservation.
Fees
and Expenses
These
tables are intended to help you understand the various costs and expenses you
will pay if you buy, hold and sell shares
of the Fund.
| |
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
|
|
Maximum
sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
Maximum
deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of offering
price) |
None |
| |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage
of the value of your investment)
|
|
|
Management
Fees |
0.25% |
Distribution
(12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
0.36% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.61% |
Fee
Waivers |
(0.11)% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers1
|
% |
1. |
The
Manager has contractually committed through October
31, 2025,
to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary
to cap Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver at
0.50%
for Administrator
Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp
duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and
extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense
cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be
increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may
be terminated only with the approval of the Board of
Trustees. |
Example
of Expenses
The
example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the Fund
with the costs of investing in other
funds. The example assumes a $10,000 initial investment, 5% annual total return,
and that fees and expenses remain
the same as in the tables above. To the extent that the Manager is waiving fees
or reimbursing expenses, the example
assumes that such waiver or reimbursement will only be in place through the date
noted above. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs
would be:
| |
|
|
After:
|
|
1
Year |
$51 |
3
Years |
$184 |
5
Years |
$329 |
10
Years |
$752 |
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 rate 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 42% of
the average value of its portfolio.
42 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not
necessarily federal alternative minimum tax
(AMT); |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest
is subject to federal AMT;
and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities. |
We
invest principally in short-term municipal securities of states, territories and
possessions of the United States whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the
securities may be below investment
grade or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may
also invest a portion of the
Fund’s assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT.
We may use futures for duration and yield curve management.
While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we
expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted
average effective maturity to be 1 year or
less.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
Principal
Investment Risks
An
investment in the Fund may lose money, is
not a deposit of a bank or its affiliates, is not insured or guaranteed by
the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental
agency,
and is primarily subject to the risks briefly
summarized below.
Market
Risk.
The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the Fund may
decline due to general market
conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of
such securities. Securities markets are
volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer,
regulatory, political, or economic developments.
Different sectors of the market and different security types may react
differently to such developments.
Debt
Securities Risk.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk
is the possibility that the issuer
or guarantor of a debt security may be unable, or perceived to be unable or
unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal
when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could
decline and the Fund could lose money.
Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality or financial strength
declines. Interest rate risk is the possibility that
interest rates will change over time. When interest rates rise, the value of
debt securities tends to fall. The longer the
terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is subject to
this risk. If interest rates decline, interest
that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also
decline, which could cause the Fund to
reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those securities
may increase. Very low or negative interest
rates may magnify interest rate risk.
Municipal
Securities Risk.
Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing
authority of a
local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project
or specific assets, or by the credit of, or
liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Various types of municipal
securities are often related in such a way
that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could
affect other municipal securities held
by a Fund.
Derivatives
Risk.
The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, can lead
to losses, including those
magnified by leverage, particularly when derivatives are used to enhance return
rather than mitigate risk. Certain derivative
instruments may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it
would be appropriate to do so, or the
other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its
contractual obligations.
Futures
Contracts Risk.
A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject
to the risk of loss caused
by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an
imperfect correlation between the movement
in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments
or indexes, and there may at times
not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures
contracts.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 43 |
High
Yield Securities Risk.
High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly
known as “junk
bonds”) are considered speculative and have a much greater risk of default or of
not returning principal and their values
tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar
maturities.
Management
Risk.
Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a
Fund’s manager or sub-adviser
in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce expected
returns, may cause the Fund’s
shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with
similar investment objectives.
Performance
The
following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the
Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s
performance from year to year.
The Fund’s average annual total returns are compared to the performance of one
or
more indices. The Fund’s Regulatory Benchmark is a broad-based index that
represents the overall securities markets
relative to the Fund’s asset category while the Fund’s Strategy Benchmark is
most closely aligned with the Fund’s
investment universe based on its investment
strategy. Past
performance before and after taxes is no guarantee of
future results.
Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website at
allspringglobal.com.
|
| |
Calendar
Year Total Returns for Administrator Class as of 12/31 each
year |
|
Highest
Quarter: December
31, 2023 |
|
Lowest
Quarter: March
31,
2022 |
|
Year-to-date
total return
as of September
30, 2024
is +2.88% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Average
Annual Total Returns for the periods ended
12/31/2023 |
|
Inception
Date
of Share
Class |
1
Year |
5
Year |
10
Year |
Administrator
Class (before taxes) |
7/30/2010
|
3.35% |
1.05% |
0.77% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions) |
7/30/2010
|
2.54% |
0.70% |
0.60% |
Administrator
Class (after taxes on distributions and the
sale of Fund Shares) |
7/30/2010
|
1.98% |
0.70% |
0.61% |
Ultra
Short-Term Municipal Income Blended Index (Strategy
Benchmark) (reflects no deduction for fees,
expenses, or taxes)1
|
|
% |
% |
% |
Bloomberg
1 Year Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deduction
for fees, expenses, or taxes) |
|
3.39% |
1.34% |
1.09% |
Bloomberg
Municipal Bond Index (Regulatory Benchmark)
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses,
or taxes) |
|
6.40% |
2.25% |
3.03% |
1. |
Source:
Allspring
Funds Management, LLC. The Ultra Short-Term Municipal Income Blended Index
is composed 50% of the Bloomberg 1
Year Municipal Bond Index and 50% of the iMoneyNet Tax-Free National
Institutional Money Market Funds Average. You
cannot invest directly in an
index. |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect
the impact of state, local or foreign taxes.
Actual
after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ
from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt
investors or investors who hold their
Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) Plans or
Individual Retirement
Accounts.
44 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Fund
Management
|
| |
Manager |
Sub-Adviser |
Portfolio
Manager, Title/Managed Since |
Allspring
Funds Management,
LLC |
Allspring
Global Investments,
LLC |
Bruce
R. Johns,
Portfolio Manager / 2017 James
Randazzo,
Portfolio Manager / 2019 Nicholos
Venditti, CFA,
Portfolio Manager / 2020 |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
Administrator
Class shares are generally available through intermediaries for the accounts of
their customers and directly
to institutional investors and individuals. Institutional investors may include
corporations; private banks and trust
companies; endowments and foundations; defined contribution, defined benefit and
other employer sponsored retirement
plans; institutional retirement plan platforms; insurance companies; registered
investment advisor firms; bank
trusts; 529 college savings plans; family offices; and funds of funds, including
those managed by Allspring Funds Management.
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund online or by mail, phone or
wire, on any day the New York
Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. You also may buy and sell shares
through a financial professional.
| |
Minimum
Investments |
To
Buy or Sell Shares |
Minimum
Initial Investment Administrator
Class: $1 million (this amount may be reduced
or eliminated for certain eligible investors)
Minimum
Additional Investment Administrator
Class: None |
Mail:
Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967 Online:
allspringglobal.com Phone
or Wire:
1-800-222-8222 Contact
your financial professional. |
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions normally consist of exempt-interest dividends, which are
generally not taxable to you for federal
income tax purposes, but may be subject to federal AMT. A portion of
the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest
dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless
you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or
an individual retirement account. However,
subsequent withdrawals from such a tax advantaged investment plan may be subject
to federal income tax. You
should consult your tax adviser about your specific situation.
Payments
to Intermediaries
If
you purchase a Fund through an intermediary, 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 intermediary
and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Consult your financial professional
or visit your intermediary’s website for more information.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 45 |
Details
About the Funds
California
Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax and California
individual income tax, consistent with capital
preservation.
The
Fund’s Board of Trustees can change this investment objective without a
shareholder vote.
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal
securities whose interest is exempt from federal income tax,
including
federal alternative minimum tax (AMT), and California individual income
tax; |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s net assets in securities whose interest is subject to
federal income tax, including federal AMT; |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities whose interest is exempt from federal
income tax, including federal AMT, and
California individual income tax. Our investment holdings may include municipal
securities issued by the state of California
and its subdivisions, authorities, instrumentalities and corporations, as well
as municipal securities issued by the
territories and possessions of the United States. Some of the securities may be
below investment grade or may be unrated
and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also invest a portion of
the Fund’s net assets in securities
whose interest is subject to federal income tax, including federal
AMT. We may use futures for duration and yield
curve management. While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal
circumstances, we expect the
Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be between 2 and 7
years.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
We
may actively trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction
costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.
In addition, active trading of portfolio securities may lead to higher taxes if
your shares are held in a taxable
account.
The
Fund may hold some of its assets in cash or in money market instruments,
including U.S. Government obligations, shares
of other funds and repurchase agreements, or make other short-term investments
for purposes of maintaining liquidity
or for short-term defensive purposes when we believe it is in the best interests
of the shareholders to do so. During
such periods, the Fund may not achieve its objective.
46 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Principal
Investment Risks
The
Fund is primarily subject to the risks mentioned below.
These
and other risks could cause you to lose money in your investment in the Fund and
could adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value, yield and total return. These risks are described in the
“Description of Principal Investment Risks”
section.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 47 |
California
Tax-Free Fund
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax and California
individual income tax.
The
Fund’s Board of Trustees can change this investment objective without a
shareholder vote.
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, including
federal alternative minimum tax (AMT), and California individual income
tax; |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s net assets in securities whose interest is subject to
federal income tax, including federal AMT; |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities whose interest is exempt from federal
income tax, including federal AMT, and
California individual income tax. Our investment holdings may include municipal
securities issued by the state of California
and its subdivisions, authorities, instrumentalities and corporations, as well
as municipal securities issued by the
territories and possessions of the United States. Some of the securities may be
below investment grade or may be unrated
and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also invest a portion of
the Fund’s net assets in securities
whose interest is subject to federal income tax, including federal
AMT. We may use futures for duration and yield
curve management. While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal
circumstances, we expect the
Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be between 3 and 20
years.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
The
Fund is considered to be non-diversified.
We
may actively trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction
costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.
In addition, active trading of portfolio securities may lead to higher taxes if
your shares are held in a taxable
account.
The
Fund may hold some of its assets in cash or in money market instruments,
including U.S. Government obligations, shares
of other funds and repurchase agreements, or make other short-term investments
for purposes of maintaining liquidity
or for short-term defensive purposes when we believe it is in the best interests
of the shareholders to do so. During
such periods, the Fund may not achieve its objective.
48 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Principal
Investment Risks
The
Fund is primarily subject to the risks mentioned below.
These
and other risks could cause you to lose money in your investment in the Fund and
could adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value, yield and total return. These risks are described in the
“Description of Principal Investment Risks”
section.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 49 |
High
Yield Municipal Bond Fund
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks high current income exempt from federal income tax, and capital
appreciation.
The
Fund’s Board of Trustees can change this investment objective without a
shareholder vote.
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not
necessarily federal alternative minimum tax
(“AMT”); |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest is subject
to federal AMT; |
■ |
at
least 50% of the Fund’s total assets in municipal securities rated BBB and
below or comparable unrated municipal securities;
and |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities of states, territories and
possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt
from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. A substantial portion
of the securities will be rated BBB
and below or unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. Securities
rated BB and below are often called
“high yield” securities or “junk bonds”. We may invest in municipal debt of any
credit quality. We may also invest a
portion of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest is subject to
federal AMT. We may use futures for duration
and yield curve management. While we may purchase securities of any
maturity, under normal circumstances, we
expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be between 3 and
20 years. “Dollar-weighted
average effective maturity” is a measure of the average time until the final
payment of principal and interest
is due on fixed income securities in the Fund’s portfolio.
We
may invest up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investments in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 20% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
We
may actively trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction
costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.
In addition, active trading of portfolio securities may lead to higher taxes if
your shares are held in a taxable
account.
The
Fund may hold some of its assets in cash or in money market instruments,
including U.S. Government obligations, shares
of other funds and repurchase agreements, or make other short-term investments
for purposes of maintaining liquidity
or for short-term defensive purposes when we believe it is in the best interests
of the shareholders to do so. During
such periods, the Fund may not achieve its objective.
50 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Principal
Investment Risks
The
Fund is primarily subject to the risks mentioned below.
These
and other risks could cause you to lose money in your investment in the Fund and
could adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value, yield and total return. These risks are described in the
“Description of Principal Investment Risks”
section.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 51 |
Intermediate
Tax/AMT-Free Fund
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax.
The
Fund’s Board of Trustees can change this investment objective without a
shareholder vote.
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, including
federal alternative minimum tax (AMT); |
■ |
up
to 15% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities of states,
territories and possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt
from federal income tax, including federal AMT. Some of the securities may be
below investment grade or unrated
and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, we do
not invest in securities whose
interest is subject to federal income tax, including federal AMT. We may use
futures for duration and yield curve management.
While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we
expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted
average effective maturity to be between 3 and 10 years.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
We
may actively trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction
costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.
In addition, active trading of portfolio securities may lead to higher taxes if
your shares are held in a taxable
account.
The
Fund may hold some of its assets in cash or in money market instruments,
including U.S. Government obligations, shares
of other funds and repurchase agreements, or make other short-term investments
for purposes of maintaining liquidity
or for short-term defensive purposes when we believe it is in the best interests
of the shareholders to do so. During
such periods, the Fund may not achieve its objective.
Principal
Investment Risks
The
Fund is primarily subject to the risks mentioned below.
These
and other risks could cause you to lose money in your investment in the Fund and
could adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value, yield and total return. These risks are described in the
“Description of Principal Investment Risks”
section.
52 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Minnesota
Tax-Free Fund
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax and Minnesota
individual income tax.
The
Fund’s Board of Trustees can change this investment objective without a
shareholder vote.
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, including
federal alternative minimum tax (AMT), and Minnesota individual income
tax; |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s net assets in securities whose interest is subject to
federal income tax, including federal AMT; |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities whose interest is exempt
from federal income tax, including federal AMT, and
Minnesota individual income tax. Our investment holdings may include municipal
securities issued by the state of Minnesota
and its subdivisions, authorities, instrumentalities and corporations, as well
as municipal securities issued by the
territories and possessions of the United States. Some of the securities may be
below investment grade or may be unrated
and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also invest a portion of
the Fund’s net assets in securities
whose interest is subject to federal income tax, including federal
AMT. While the Fund is required, under normal
circumstances, to invest at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal
securities whose interest is exempt from
Minnesota individual income tax, we currently intend to manage the portfolio so
that at least 95% of the income generated
by the Fund is exempt from Minnesota individual income tax. We may use futures
for duration and yield curve
management. While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal
circumstances, we expect the Fund’s
dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be between 3 and 20
years.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
We
may actively trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction
costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.
In addition, active trading of portfolio securities may lead to higher taxes if
your shares are held in a taxable
account.
The
Fund may hold some of its assets in cash or in money market instruments,
including U.S. Government obligations, shares
of other funds and repurchase agreements, or make other short-term investments
for purposes of maintaining liquidity
or for short-term defensive purposes when we believe it is in the best interests
of the shareholders to do so. During
such periods, the Fund may not achieve its objective.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 53 |
Principal
Investment Risks
The
Fund is primarily subject to the risks mentioned below.
These
and other risks could cause you to lose money in your investment in the Fund and
could adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value, yield and total return. These risks are described in the
“Description of Principal Investment Risks”
section.
54 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Municipal
Bond Fund
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax.
The
Fund’s Board of Trustees can change this investment objective without a
shareholder vote.
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not
necessarily federal alternative minimum tax
(AMT); |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest
is subject to federal AMT; |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities of states, territories and
possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt
from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the securities
may be below investment grade
or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also
invest a portion of the Fund’s assets
in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT. We may use
futures for duration and yield curve management.
While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we
expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted
average effective maturity to be between 3 and 20 years.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
We
may actively trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction
costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.
In addition, active trading of portfolio securities may lead to higher taxes if
your shares are held in a taxable
account.
The
Fund may hold some of its assets in cash or in money market instruments,
including U.S. Government obligations, shares
of other funds and repurchase agreements, or make other short-term investments
for purposes of maintaining liquidity
or for short-term defensive purposes when we believe it is in the best interests
of the shareholders to do so. During
such periods, the Fund may not achieve its objective.
Principal
Investment Risks
The
Fund is primarily subject to the risks mentioned below.
These
and other risks could cause you to lose money in your investment in the Fund and
could adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value, yield and total return. These risks are described in the
“Description of Principal Investment Risks”
section.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 55 |
Short-Term
Municipal Bond Fund
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax consistent with capital
preservation.
The
Fund’s Board of Trustees can change this investment objective without a
shareholder vote.
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not
necessarily federal alternative minimum tax
(AMT); |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest
is subject to federal AMT; |
■ |
up
to 15% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
invest principally in short-term municipal securities of states, territories and
possessions of the United States whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the
securities may be below investment
grade or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may
also invest a portion of the
Fund’s assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT. We may use
futures for duration and yield curve management.
While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we
expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted
average effective maturity to be 3 years or less.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
We
may actively trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction
costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.
In addition, active trading of portfolio securities may lead to higher taxes if
your shares are held in a taxable
account.
The
Fund may hold some of its assets in cash or in money market instruments,
including U.S. Government obligations, shares
of other funds and repurchase agreements, or make other short-term investments
for purposes of maintaining liquidity
or for short-term defensive purposes when we believe it is in the best interests
of the shareholders to do so. During
such periods, the Fund may not achieve its objective.
Principal
Investment Risks
The
Fund is primarily subject to the risks mentioned below.
These
and other risks could cause you to lose money in your investment in the Fund and
could adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value, yield and total return. These risks are described in the
“Description of Principal Investment Risks”
section.
56 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Strategic
Municipal Bond Fund
Investment
Objective
The Fund
seeks current income exempt from regular federal income tax.
The
Fund’s Board of Trustees can change this investment objective without a
shareholder vote.
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from regular federal income tax,
but not necessarily the federal alternative minimum tax
(AMT); |
■ |
up
to 35% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse
floaters. |
We
may also invest:
■ |
any
amount in securities whose interest is subject to federal
AMT. |
We
invest principally in municipal securities of states, territories and
possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt
from regular federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the
securities may be below investment
grade or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may
also invest any amount of the
Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT. We
may use futures for duration and yield curve
management.
We
may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek
enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative
debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse
floaters pay interest at rates that
generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve
leverage. We intend to limit leverage created
by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the
Fund’s total assets.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
While
we may purchase securities of any maturity or duration, under normal
circumstances, we expect the Fund’s overall
dollar-weighted average effective duration to be 6 years or less.
We
may actively trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction
costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.
In addition, active trading of portfolio securities may lead to higher taxes if
your shares are held in a taxable
account.
The
Fund may hold some of its assets in cash or in money market instruments,
including U.S. Government obligations, shares
of other funds and repurchase agreements, or make other short-term investments
for purposes of maintaining liquidity
or for short-term defensive purposes when we believe it is in the best interests
of the shareholders to do so. During
such periods, the Fund may not achieve its objective.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 57 |
Principal
Investment Risks
The
Fund is primarily subject to the risks mentioned below.
These
and other risks could cause you to lose money in your investment in the Fund and
could adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value, yield and total return. These risks are described in the
“Description of Principal Investment Risks”
section.
58 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Ultra
Short-Term Municipal Income Fund
Investment
Objective
The
Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax, consistent with
capital preservation.
The
Fund’s Board of Trustees can change this investment objective without a
shareholder vote.
Principal
Investment Strategies
Under
normal circumstances, we invest:
■ |
at
least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not
necessarily federal alternative minimum tax
(AMT); |
■ |
up
to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest
is subject to federal AMT; and |
■ |
up
to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal
securities. |
We
invest principally in short-term municipal securities of states, territories and
possessions of the United States whose interest
is exempt from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the
securities may be below investment
grade or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may
also invest a portion of the
Fund’s assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT.
We may use futures for duration and yield curve management.
While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we
expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted
average effective maturity to be 1 year or less.
We
use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main
elements of total return: duration management,
yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security
selection. Our top-down analysis
involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others,
the pace of economic growth,
employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up
analysis, which involves intensive
research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative
value of individual issues, is used to
uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several
factors, including, among others, improving
financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic
conditions, and specific demographic
trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could
be replaced with a security
that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold
due to changes in credit characteristics
or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow
needs.
We
may actively trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction
costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.
In addition, active trading of portfolio securities may lead to higher taxes if
your shares are held in a taxable
account.
The
Fund may hold some of its assets in cash or in money market instruments,
including U.S. Government obligations, shares
of other funds and repurchase agreements, or make other short-term investments
for purposes of maintaining liquidity
or for short-term defensive purposes when we believe it is in the best interests
of the shareholders to do so. During
such periods, the Fund may not achieve its objective.
Principal
Investment Risks
The
Fund is primarily subject to the risks mentioned below.
These
and other risks could cause you to lose money in your investment in the Fund and
could adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value, yield and total return. These risks are described in the
“Description of Principal Investment Risks”
section.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 59 |
Description
of Principal Investment Risks
Understanding
the risks involved in fund investing will help you make an informed decision
that takes into account your risk
tolerance and preferences. The risks that are most likely to have a material
effect on a particular Fund as
a whole are
called “principal risks.” The principal risks for each Fund
have been previously identified and are described below (in alphabetical
order). Additional information about the principal risks is included in the
Statement of Additional Information.
Debt
Securities Risk.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk
is the possibility that the issuer
or guarantor of a debt security may be unable, or perceived to be unable or
unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal
when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could
decline and the Fund could lose money.
Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality or financial strength
declines. The credit quality of a debt security
may deteriorate rapidly and cause significant deterioration in the Fund’s net
asset value. Interest rate risk is the possibility
that interest rates will change over time. When interest rates rise, the value
of debt securities tends to fall. The
longer the terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is
subject to this risk. If interest rates decline,
interest that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may
also decline, which could cause the
Fund to reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those
securities may increase. Some debt securities
give the issuers the option to call, redeem or prepay the securities before
their maturity dates. If an issuer calls,
redeems or prepays a debt security during a time of declining interest rates,
the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds
in a security offering a lower yield, and therefore might not benefit from any
increase in value as a result of declining
interest rates. Very low or negative interest rates may magnify interest rate
risk. Changing interest rates, including
rates that fall below zero, may have unpredictable effects on markets, may
result in heightened market volatility
and may detract from Fund performance to the extent the Fund is exposed to such
interest rates. Interest rate changes
and their impact on the Fund and its share price can be sudden and
unpredictable. Changes in market conditions
and government policies may lead to periods of heightened volatility in the debt
securities market, reduced liquidity
Fund investments and an increase in Fund redemptions.
Derivatives
Risk.
The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, presents
risks different from, and
possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in
traditional securities. The use of derivatives can lead
to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the derivatives’
underlying assets, indexes or rates
and the derivatives themselves, which may be magnified by certain features of
the derivatives. These risks are heightened
when derivatives are used to enhance a Fund’s return or as a substitute for a
position or security, rather than
solely to hedge (or mitigate) the risk of a position or security held by the
Fund. The success of a derivative strategy will
be affected by the portfolio manager’s ability to assess and predict market or
economic developments and their impact
on the derivatives’ underlying assets, indexes or reference rates, as well as
the derivatives themselves. Certain derivative
instruments may become illiquid and, as a result, may be difficult to sell when
the portfolio manager believes it
would be appropriate to do so. Certain derivatives create leverage, which can
magnify the impact of a decline in the value
of their underlying assets, indexes or reference rates, and increase the
volatility of the Fund’s net asset value. Certain
derivatives (e.g., over-the-counter swaps) are also subject to the risk that the
counterparty to the derivative contract
will be unwilling or unable to fulfill its contractual obligations, which may
cause a Fund to lose money, suffer delays
or incur costs arising from holding or selling an underlying asset. Changes in
laws or regulations may make the use
of derivatives more costly, may limit the availability of derivatives, or may
otherwise adversely affect the use, value or
performance of derivatives.
Futures Contracts
Risk.
A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject
to the risk of loss caused
by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an
imperfect correlation between the movement
in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments
or indexes, and there may at times
not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures contracts.
High
Yield Securities Risk.
High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly
known as “junk
bonds”) are considered speculative and have a much greater risk of default (or
in the case of bonds currently in default,
of not returning principal) and their values tend to be more volatile than
higher-rated securities with similar maturities.
Additionally, these securities tend to be less liquid and more difficult to
value than higher-rated securities.
Inverse
Floater Risk.
The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more
than its principal investment.
An inverse floater produces less income (and may produce no income) and may
decline in value when market
rates and the rate payable on the floater rises, and produces more income and
may increase in value when market
rates and the rate payable on the floater falls. An inverse floater typically
involves leverage, which may magnify a
Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater price and income volatility than an
unleveraged bond with a similar maturity. The tender
of a floater, the failure of a remarketing agent to sell a floater or certain
other events may require the dissolution
60 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
of
the trust or the liquidation of the underlying municipal security. In that
event, the Fund, as a holder of an inverse floater,
and thus a residual interest in the underlying municipal security, may lose some
or all of its investment.
Management
Risk.
Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a Fund’s
manager or sub-adviser
in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce the
returns expected, may cause the
Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds
with similar investment objectives.
Market
Risk.
The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by a Fund may
decline due to general market
conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of
such securities. Securities markets are
volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer,
regulatory, political, or economic developments.
Different sectors of the market and different security types may react
differently to such developments. Political,
geopolitical, natural and other events, including war, terrorism, trade
disputes, government shutdowns, market
closures, inflation, natural and environmental disasters, epidemics, pandemics
and other public health crises and
related events have led, and in the future may lead, to economic uncertainty,
decreased economic activity, increased
market volatility and other disruptive effects on U.S. and global economies and
markets. Such events may have
significant adverse direct or indirect effects on a Fund and its investments. In
addition, economies and financial markets
throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases
the likelihood that events or conditions
in one country or region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other
countries or regions.
Municipal
Securities Risk.
Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing
authority of a
local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project
or specific assets, or by the credit of, or
liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Municipal securities may be
difficult to obtain because of limited
supply, which may increase the cost to a Fund of purchasing such securities and
effectively reduce the Fund’s yield.
Typically, less information is available about a municipal issuer than is
available about other types of issuers. Various
types of municipal securities are often related in such a way that political,
economic or business developments affecting
one obligation could affect other municipal securities held by the Fund. The
value and liquidity of municipal securities
backed by the revenue from a particular project or other source may decline if
the project or other source fails
to generate expected revenue. Although the Fund may strive to invest in
municipal securities and other securities that
pay interest that is exempt from certain taxes (such as federal taxes, federal
alternative minimum tax and/or state taxes
as applicable), some income earned by Fund investments may be subject to such
taxes. Certain issuers of municipal
securities may have the ability to call or redeem a security prior to its
maturity date, which could impair Fund performance.
New
Fund Risk.
The Fund is a new fund, with a limited or no operating history and a small asset
base. There can be no assurance
that the Fund will grow to or maintain a viable size. Due to the Fund’s small
asset base, certain of the Fund’s expenses
and its portfolio transaction costs may be higher than those of a fund with a
larger asset base. To the extent that
the Fund does not grow to or maintain a viable size, it may be liquidated, and
the expenses, timing and tax consequences
of such liquidation may not be favorable to some shareholders.
Non-Diversification
Risk.
A Fund that is considered “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended,
may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single
issuer than a fund that is considered “diversified”
(a “diversified” investment company, with respect to 75% of its total assets, is
not generally permitted to invest
more than 5% of such assets in the securities of a single issuer or own more
than 10% of an issuer’s outstanding voting
securities). A non-diversified fund is therefore more vulnerable to market or
economic events impacting issuers of
individual portfolio securities than a “diversified” fund. Default by the issuer
of an individual security in such a Fund’s portfolio
may have a greater negative effect on the Fund’s returns or net asset value than
a similar default in a diversified
portfolio. A non-diversified fund’s performance may be disproportionately
impacted by the performance of relatively
few securities.
State
Emphasis Risk.
Securities issued by a particular state and its subdivisions, authorities,
instrumentalities and corporations
are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments occurring in such state.
Such developments may adversely
impact the liquidity and value of the municipal securities in which a Fund
invests and, in turn, adversely impact
the value of the Fund’s shares.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 61 |
Portfolio
Holdings Information
A
description of the Allspring
Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio
holdings is
available in the Funds’
Statement of Additional Information.
Pricing Fund
Shares
A Fund’s net
asset value (“NAV”) is the value of a single share. The NAV is calculated as of
the close of regular trading on the
New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day
that the NYSE is open, although a Fund
may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected
circumstances.
The NAV is calculated
separately for each class of shares of a multiple-class Fund. The most recent
NAV for each class of a Fund is available
at allspringglobal.com. To calculate the NAV of a Fund’s
shares, the Fund’s
assets are valued and totaled, liabilities
are subtracted, and the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of
shares outstanding. The price at
which a purchase or redemption request is processed is based on the next NAV
calculated after the request is received
in good order. Generally, NAV is not calculated, and purchase and redemption
requests are not processed, on days
that the NYSE is closed for trading; however, under unusual or unexpected
circumstances, a Fund
may elect to remain
open even on days that the NYSE is closed or closes early. To the extent
that a Fund’s
assets are traded in various
markets on days when the Fund
is closed, the value of the Fund’s
assets may be affected on days when you are unable
to buy or sell Fund
shares. Conversely, trading in some of a Fund’s
assets may not occur on days when the Fund
is
open.
With
respect to any portion of a Fund’s
assets that may be invested in other investment companies, the value of
the Fund’s
shares is based on the NAV of the shares of the other investment companies in
which the Fund
invests. The valuation
methods used by investment companies in pricing their shares, including the
circumstances under which they
will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing, are
included in the prospectuses of such funds.
To the extent a Fund
invests a portion of its assets in non-registered investment vehicles,
the Fund’s
interests in the
non-registered vehicles are fair valued at NAV.
With
respect to a Fund’s
assets invested directly in securities, the Fund’s
investments are generally valued at current market
prices. Equity securities, options and futures are generally valued at the
official closing price or, if none, the last reported
sales price on the primary exchange or market on which they are listed (closing
price). Equity securities that are
not traded primarily on an exchange are generally valued at the quoted bid price
obtained from a broker-dealer.
Debt
securities are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent
pricing service or, if a reliable price is not
available, the quoted bid price from an independent broker-dealer.
We
are required to depart from these general valuation methods and use fair value
pricing methods to determine the values
of certain investments if we believe that the closing price or the quoted bid
price of a security, including a security
that trades primarily on a foreign exchange, does not accurately reflect its
current market value as of the time a Fund
calculates its NAV. The closing price or the quoted bid price of a security may
not reflect its current market value
if, among other things, a significant event occurs after the closing price or
quoted bid price are made available, but
before the time as of which a Fund
calculates its NAV, that materially affects the value of the security. We use
various
criteria, including a systemic evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close
of foreign markets, in deciding whether
a foreign security’s market price is still reliable and, if not, what fair
market value to assign to the security. In addition,
we use fair value pricing to determine the value of investments in securities
and other assets, including illiquid
securities, for which current market quotations or evaluated prices from a
pricing service or broker-dealer are not
readily available.
The
fair value of a Fund’s
securities and other assets is determined in good faith pursuant to policies and
procedures adopted
by the Fund’s
Board of Trustees. Pursuant to such policies and procedures, the Board has
appointed the Manager
as the Fund’s valuation designee (the “Valuation Designee”) to perform all fair
valuations of the Fund’s portfolio
investments, subject to the Board’s oversight. As the Valuation Designee, the
Manager has established procedures
for its fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments. These procedures
address, among other things, determining
when market quotations are not readily available or reliable and the
methodologies to be used for determining
the fair value of investments, as well as the use and oversight of third-party
pricing services for fair valuation.
In light of the judgment involved in making fair value decisions, there can be
no assurance that a fair value assigned
to a particular security is accurate or that it reflects the price that the
Fund could
obtain for such security if it were
to sell the security at the time as of which fair value pricing is determined.
Such fair value pricing may result in NAVs
that are higher or lower than NAVs based on the closing price or quoted bid
price. See the Statement of Additional
Information for additional details regarding the determination of
NAVs.
62 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Management
of the Funds
The
Manager
Allspring
Funds Management, LLC (“Allspring
Funds Management”), headquartered at 1415 Vantage Park Drive, 3rd Floor,
Charlotte, NC 28203, provides advisory
and Fund-level administrative services to the Funds
pursuant to an investment
management agreement (the “Management Agreement”). Allspring
Funds Management is a wholly owned subsidiary
of Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC, a holding company indirectly
owned by certain private funds of
GTCR LLC and Reverence Capital Partners, L.P. Allspring Funds Management is a
registered investment adviser that provides
advisory services for registered mutual funds, closed-end funds and other funds
and accounts.
Allspring
Funds Management is responsible for implementing the investment objectives and
strategies of the Funds.
Allspring
Funds Management’s investment professionals review and analyze the Funds’
performance, including relative to
peer funds, and monitor the Funds’
compliance with their
investment objectives and strategies. Allspring
Funds Management
is responsible for reporting to the Board on investment performance and other
matters affecting the Funds.
When appropriate, Allspring
Funds Management recommends to the Board enhancements to Fund features,
including
changes to Fund investment objectives, strategies and policies. Allspring
Funds Management also communicates
with shareholders
and intermediaries about Fund performance and features.
Allspring
Funds Management is also responsible for providing Fund-level
administrative services to the Funds,
which include,
among others, providing such services in connection with the Funds’
operations; developing and implementing
procedures for monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements and compliance
with the Funds’
investment
objectives, policies and restrictions; and providing any
other Fund-level
administrative services reasonably necessary
for the operation of the Funds,
other than those services that are provided by the Funds’ transfer
and dividend
disbursing agent, custodian and fund accountant.
To
assist Allspring
Funds Management in implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the
Funds,
Allspring
Funds
Management may contract with one or more sub-advisers to provide day-to-day
portfolio management services to
the Funds.
Allspring
Funds Management employs a team of investment professionals who identify and
recommend the
initial hiring of any sub-adviser and oversee and monitor the activities of any
sub-adviser on an ongoing basis. Allspring
Funds Management retains overall responsibility for the investment activities of
the Funds.
A
discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of
the Management
Agreement and any applicable sub-advisory
agreements for each Fund is
available in the Fund’s
Form N-CSR filing for the period ended June
30.
For each Fund’s
most recent fiscal year end, the management
fee paid to Allspring
Funds Management pursuant to the Management
Agreement, net of any applicable waivers and reimbursements, was as
follows:
| |
Management
Fees Paid |
|
As
a % of average daily net assets |
California
Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund |
0.36% |
California
Tax-Free Fund |
0.36% |
High
Yield Municipal Bond Fund |
0.31% |
Intermediate
Tax/AMT-Free Fund |
0.24% |
Minnesota
Tax-Free Fund |
0.33% |
Municipal
Bond Fund |
0.33% |
Short-Term
Municipal Bond Fund |
0.30% |
Strategic
Municipal Bond Fund |
0.37% |
Ultra
Short-Term Municipal Income Fund |
0.16% |
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 63 |
The
Sub-Adviser and Portfolio Managers
The
following sub-adviser
and portfolio
managers provide day-to-day portfolio management services to the Funds. These
services include making purchases and sales of securities and other investment
assets for the Funds,
selecting
broker-dealers, negotiating brokerage commission rates and maintaining portfolio
transaction records. The sub-adviser is
compensated for its
services by Allspring
Funds Management from the fees Allspring
Funds Management receives
for its services as manager
to the Funds.
The Statement of Additional Information provides additional
information about the portfolio
managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio
managers
and the portfolio
managers’ ownership of securities in the Funds.
Allspring
Global Investments, LLC
(“Allspring Investments”) is a registered investment adviser located
at 1415 Vantage Park
Drive, 3rd Floor, Charlotte, NC 28203. Allspring Investments, an affiliate of
Allspring Funds Management and wholly
owned subsidiary of Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC, is a
multi-boutique asset management firm committed
to delivering superior investment services to institutional clients, including
investment companies.
| |
Dennis
Derby High
Yield Municipal Bond Fund |
Mr.
Derby joined Allspring
Investments or one of its predecessor firms in 1995,
where he currently serves as a Senior Research Analyst and Portfolio
Manager
for the Municipal Fixed Income team. |
Terry
J. Goode California
Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund California
Tax-Free Fund High
Yield Municipal Bond Fund Municipal
Bond Fund Strategic
Municipal Bond Fund |
Mr.
Goode joined Allspring
Investments or one of its predecessor firms in 2002,
where he currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager for the
Municipal
Fixed Income team. |
Bruce
R. Johns Intermediate
Tax/AMT-Free Fund Minnesota
Tax-Free Fund Short-Term
Municipal Bond Fund Ultra
Short-Term Municipal Income Fund |
Mr.
Johns joined Allspring
Investments or one of its predecessor firms in 1998,
where he currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager for the
Municipal
Fixed Income team. |
Kerry
Laurin High
Yield Municipal Bond Fund Minnesota
Tax-Free Fund |
Ms.
Laurin joined Allspring
Investments or one of its predecessor firms in 2016,
where she currently serves as a Senior Research Analyst and Portfolio
Manager for the Municipal Fixed Income team. Prior to joining Allspring,
she was as a research analyst for Heartland Advisors where she
covered
taxable fixed income, consumer, and utility equity
sectors. |
Robert
J. Miller Intermediate
Tax/AMT-Free Fund Municipal
Bond Fund Strategic
Municipal Bond Fund |
Mr.
Miller joined Allspring
Investments or one of its predecessor firms in 2008,
where he currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager for the
Municipal
Fixed Income team. |
Kim
Nakahara California
Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund California
Tax-Free Fund |
Ms.
Nakahara joined Allspring
Investments or one of its predecessor firms in
2014, where she currently serves as a Senior Research Analyst and
Portfolio
Manager. |
James
Randazzo Ultra
Short-Term Municipal Income Fund |
Mr.
Randazzo joined Allspring
Investments or one of its predecessor firms in
2000, where he currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager for the
Municipal
Fixed Income team. |
Adrian
Van Poppel California
Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund California
Tax-Free Fund Intermediate
Tax/AMT-Free Fund |
Mr.
Van Poppel joined Allspring
Investments or one of its predecessor firms
in 1997, where he currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager for
the
Municipal Fixed Income team. |
Nicholos
Venditti, CFA Intermediate
Tax/AMT-Free Fund Municipal
Bond Fund Short-Term
Municipal Bond Fund Strategic
Municipal Bond Fund Ultra
Short-Term Municipal Income Fund |
Mr.
Venditti joined Allspring
Investments or one of its predecessor firms in 2020,
where he currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager for the
Municipal
Fixed Income team. Prior to joining Allspring,
Nick spent 10 years
at Thornburg Investment Management, most recently as a Senior Portfolio
Manager and Head of the Municipal Bond
Group. |
64 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Multi-Manager
Arrangement
The Funds
and Allspring
Funds Management have obtained an exemptive order from the SEC that
permits Allspring
Funds
Management, subject to Board approval, to select certain sub-advisers and enter
into or amend sub-advisory agreements
with them, without obtaining shareholder approval. The SEC order extends to
sub-advisers that are not otherwise
affiliated with Allspring
Funds Management or the Funds,
as well as sub-advisers that are wholly-owned subsidiaries
of Allspring
Funds Management or of a company that wholly owns Allspring
Funds Management. In addition,
the SEC staff, pursuant to no-action relief, has extended multi-manager relief
to any affiliated sub-adviser, such
as affiliated sub-advisers that are not wholly-owned subsidiaries of
Allspring
Funds Management or of a company that
wholly owns Allspring
Funds Management, provided certain conditions are satisfied (all such
sub-advisers covered by
the order or relief, “Multi-Manager Sub-Advisers”).
As
such, Allspring
Funds Management, with Board approval, may hire or replace Multi-Manager
Sub-Advisers for each Fund
that is eligible to rely on the order or relief. Allspring
Funds Management, subject to Board oversight, has the responsibility
to oversee Multi-Manager Sub-Advisers and to recommend their hiring, termination
and replacement. If a new
sub-adviser is hired for a Fund pursuant to the order or relief, the Fund is
required to notify shareholders within 90 days.
The Funds are
not required to disclose the individual fees that Allspring
Funds Management pays to a Multi-Manager
Sub-Adviser.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 65 |
Account
Information
Share
Class Eligibility
Administrator
Class shares are generally available through intermediaries for the
accounts of their customers and directly
to institutional investors and individuals. Institutional investors may include
corporations; private banks; trust companies;
endowments and foundations; defined contribution, defined benefit and other
employer sponsored retirement
plans; institutional retirement plan platforms; insurance companies; registered
investment advisor firms; bank
trusts; 529 college savings plans; family offices; and funds of funds, including
those managed by Allspring
Funds Management.
The following investors may purchase Administrator
Class shares and are not subject to a minimum initial
investment amount except, as noted below:
■ |
Employee
benefit plan programs; |
■ |
Broker-dealer
managed account or wrap programs that charge an asset-based
fee; |
■ |
Registered
investment adviser mutual fund wrap programs or other accounts that charge
a fee for advisory, investment,
consulting or similar services; |
■ |
Private
bank and trust company managed accounts or wrap programs that charge an
asset-based fee; |
■ |
Internal
Revenue Code Section 529 college savings plan
accounts; |
■ |
Funds
of funds, including those advised by Allspring
Funds Management; |
■ |
Endowments,
non-profits, and charitable organizations who invest a minimum initial
investment amount of $500,000 in
a Fund; |
■ |
Any
other institutions or customers of intermediaries who invest a minimum
initial investment amount of $1 million in
a Fund; |
■ |
Individual
investors who invest a minimum initial investment amount of $1 million
directly in a Fund; |
■ |
Certain
investors and related accounts as detailed in the Statement of Additional
Information; and |
■ |
Individual
investors who purchase through an intermediary-sponsored self-directed
brokerage account program that may
or may not charge transaction fees. |
Eligibility
requirements for Administrator
Class shares may be modified or discontinued at any time.
Your
Fund may offer other classes of shares in addition to those offered through this
Prospectus. You may be eligible to invest
in one or more of these other classes of shares. Each share class bears varying
expenses and may differ in other features.
Consult your financial professional for more information regarding a Fund’s
available share classes.
The
information in this Prospectus is not intended for distribution to, or use by,
any person or entity in any non-U.S. jurisdiction
or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to any law or
regulation, or which would subject
Fund shares to any registration requirement within such jurisdiction or
country.
Share
Class Features
The
table below summarizes the key features of the share class offered through this
Prospectus.
|
| |
|
Administrator
Class |
Front-End
Sales Charge |
|
None |
Contingent
Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) |
|
None |
Ongoing
Distribution (“12b-1”) Fees |
|
None |
Shareholder
Servicing Fee |
|
0.25% |
Information
regarding sales charges, breakpoint levels, reductions and waivers is also
available free of charge on our website
at allspringglobal.com.
You may wish to discuss your choice of share class with your financial
professional.
66 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Compensation
to Financial Professionals and Intermediaries
Shareholder
Servicing Plan
Each
Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan (“Servicing Plan”). The Servicing
Plan authorizes the Fund to enter into
agreements with the Fund’s distributor, manager, or any of their affiliates to
provide or engage other entities to provide
certain shareholder services, including establishing and maintaining shareholder
accounts, processing and verifying
purchase ,
redemption and exchange transactions, and providing such other shareholder
liaison or related services
as may reasonably be requested. Under the Servicing Plan, fees are paid up to
the following amounts:
| |
Fund
|
Administrator
Class |
California
Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund |
0.25% |
California
Tax-Free Fund |
0.25% |
High
Yield Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25% |
Intermediate
Tax/AMT-Free Fund |
0.25% |
Minnesota
Tax-Free Fund |
0.25% |
Municipal
Bond Fund |
0.25% |
Short-Term
Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25% |
Strategic
Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25% |
Ultra
Short-Term Municipal Income Fund |
0.25% |
Additional
Payments to Financial Professionals and Intermediaries
In
addition to dealer reallowances and payments made by certain classes
of each
Fund for distribution and shareholder servicing,
the Fund’s manager, the distributor or their affiliates make additional payments
(“Additional Payments”) to certain
financial professionals and intermediaries for selling shares and providing
shareholder services, which include broker-dealers
and 401(k) service providers and record keepers. These Additional Payments,
which may be significant, are
paid by the Fund’s manager, the distributor or their affiliates, out of their
revenues, which generally come directly or indirectly
from Fund fees.
In
return for these Additional Payments, each
Fund’s manager and distributor expect the Fund to receive certain marketing
or servicing considerations that are not generally available to mutual funds
whose sponsors do not make such
payments. Such considerations are expected to include, without limitation,
placement of the Fund on a list of mutual
funds offered as investment options to the intermediary’s clients (sometimes
referred to as “Shelf Space”); access
to the intermediary’s financial professionals; and/or the ability to assist in
training and educating the intermediary’s
financial professionals.
The
Additional Payments may create potential conflicts of interest between an
investor and a financial professional or intermediary
who is recommending or making available a particular mutual fund over other
mutual funds. Before investing,
you are urged to consult with your financial professional and review carefully
any disclosure by the intermediary
as to what compensation the intermediary receives from mutual fund sponsors, as
well as how your financial
professional is compensated.
The
Additional Payments are typically paid in fixed dollar amounts, based on the
number of customer accounts maintained
by an intermediary, or based on a percentage of sales and/or assets under
management, or a combination of
the above. The Additional Payments are either up-front or ongoing or both and
differ among intermediaries. In a given
year, Additional Payments to an intermediary that is compensated based on its
customers’ assets typically range between
0.02% and 0.25% of assets invested in a Fund by the intermediary’s customers.
Additional Payments to an intermediary
that is compensated based on a percentage of sales typically range between 0.10%
and 0.25% of the gross
sales of a Fund attributable to the financial intermediary.
More
information on the FINRA member firms that have received the Additional Payments
described in this section is available
in the Statement of Additional Information, which is on file with the SEC and is
also available on the Allspring
Funds
website at allspringglobal.com.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 67 |
Buying
and Selling Fund Shares
For
more information regarding buying and selling Fund shares, please visit
allspringglobal.com.
You may buy (purchase)
and sell (redeem) Fund shares as follows:
|
| |
|
Opening
an Account |
Adding
to an Account or Selling Fund Shares |
Through
Your Financial Professional |
Contact
your financial
professional.
Transactions
will be subject to the terms
of your account with your intermediary. |
Contact
your financial professional.
Transactions
will be subject to the terms of
your account with your intermediary. |
Through
Your Retirement Plan |
Contact
your retirement plan administrator.
Transactions
will be subject to the terms
of your retirement plan account. |
Contact
your retirement plan administrator.
Transactions
will be subject to the terms of
your retirement plan account. |
Online |
New
accounts cannot be opened online.
Contact your financial professional
or retirement plan administrator,
or refer to the section on
opening an account by mail. |
Visit
allspringglobal.com.
Online
transactions are limited to a maximum
of $100,000. You may be eligible
for an exception to this maximum.
Please call Investor Services at
1-800-222-8222 for more information. |
By
Telephone |
Call
Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222.
Available
only if you have another Allspring
Fund account with your bank
information on file. |
Call
Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222.
Redemption
requests may not be made by
phone if the address on your account was
changed in the last 15 days. In this event,
you must request your redemption
by mail. For joint accounts, telephone
requests generally require only
one of the account owners to call unless
you have instructed us otherwise. |
By
Mail |
Complete
an account application and
submit it according to the instructions
on the application.
Account
applications are available online
at allspringglobal.com
or by calling
Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222. |
Send
the items required under “Requests
in Good Order” below to:
Regular
Mail Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967
Overnight
Only Allspring
Funds 430
W 7th Street STE 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64105-1407 |
Requests
in “Good Order”.
All purchase and redemption requests must be received in “good order.” This
means that a request
generally must include:
■ |
The
Fund name(s), share class(es) and account
number(s); |
■ |
The
amount (in dollars or shares) and type (purchase or redemption) of the
request; |
■ |
If
by mail, the signature of each registered owner as it appears in the
account application; |
■ |
For
purchase requests, payment of the full amount of the purchase request (see
“Payment” below); and |
■ |
Any
supporting legal documentation that may be
required. |
Purchase
and redemption requests in good order will be processed at the next NAV
calculated after the Fund’s transfer agent
or an authorized intermediary1
receives your request. If your request is not received in good order, additional
documentation
may be required to process your transaction. We reserve the right to waive any
of the above requirements.
1. |
The
Fund’s shares may be purchased through an intermediary that has entered
into a dealer agreement with the Fund’s distributor. The
Fund has approved the acceptance of a purchase or redemption request
effective as of the time of its receipt by such an authorized
intermediary or its designee, as long as the request is received by one of
those entities prior to the Fund’s closing time. These
intermediaries may charge transaction fees. We reserve the right to adjust
the closing time in certain
circumstances. |
68 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Payment.
Payment for Fund shares may be made as follows:
| |
By
Wire |
Purchases
into a new or existing account may be funded by using the following
wire
instructions:
State
Street Bank & Trust Boston,
MA Bank
Routing Number: ABA 011000028 Wire
Purchase Account: 9905-437-1 Attention:
Allspring
Funds (Name
of Fund, Account Number and any applicable share class) Account
Name: Provide your name as registered on the Fund account or as
included
in your account application. |
By
Check |
Make
checks payable to Allspring
Funds. |
By
Exchange |
Identify
an identically registered Allspring
Fund account from which you wish to exchange
(see “Exchanging Fund Shares” below for restrictions on
exchanges). |
By
Electronic Funds Transfer (“EFT”) |
Additional
purchases for existing accounts may be funded by EFT using your
linked
bank account. |
All
payments must be in U.S. dollars, and all checks and EFTs must be drawn on U.S.
banks. You will be charged a $25.00
fee for every check or EFT that is returned to us as unpaid.
Form
of Redemption Proceeds.
You may request that your redemption proceeds be sent to you by check,
by EFT into a linked
bank account, or by wire to a linked bank account. Please call Investor Services
at 1-800-222-8222 regarding the requirements
for linking bank accounts or for wiring funds. Under normal circumstances, we
expect to meet redemption
requests either by using uninvested cash or cash equivalents or by using the
proceeds from the sale of portfolio
securities, at the discretion of the portfolio manager(s). The Allspring Funds
may also borrow through a bank line
of credit for the purpose of meeting redemption requests, although we do not
expect to draw funds from this source
on a regular basis. In lieu of making cash payments, we reserve the right to
determine in our sole discretion, including
under stressed market conditions, whether to satisfy one or more redemption
requests by making payments in
securities. In such cases, we may meet all or part of a redemption request by
making payment insecurities (“redemptions
in-kind”) equal in value to the amount of the redemption payable to you as
permitted under the1940 Act,
and the rules thereunder, in which case the redeeming shareholder should expect
to incur transaction costs upon the
disposition of any securities received. Generally, such redemptions in-kind will
be effected through a pro rata distribution
of all portfolio securities in the relevant Fund, except that cash will be paid
for that portion of the in-kind distribution
that would be represented by certain assets.
Timing
of Redemption Proceeds.
We normally will send out redemption proceeds within one business day after we
accept
your request to redeem. We reserve the right to delay payment for up to seven
days. If you wish to redeem shares
purchased by check, by EFT or through the Automatic Investment Plan within seven
days of purchase, you may be
asked to resubmit your redemption request if your payment has not yet cleared.
Payment of redemption proceeds may
be delayed for longer than seven days under extraordinary circumstances or as
permitted by the SEC in order to protect
remaining shareholders. Such extraordinary circumstances are discussed further
in the Statement of Additional Information.
Retirement
Plans and Other Products.
If you purchased shares through a packaged investment product or retirement
plan,
read the directions for redeeming shares provided by the product or plan. There
may be special requirements that
supersede or are in addition to the requirements in this
Prospectus.
Exchanging
Fund Shares
Exchanges
between two funds involve two transactions: (1) the redemption of shares of one
fund; and (2) the purchase of
shares of another. In general, the same rules and procedures described under
“Buying and Selling Fund Shares” apply
to exchanges. There are, however, additional policies and considerations you
should keep in mind while making or
considering an exchange:
■ |
In
general, exchanges may be made between like share classes of any fund in
the Allspring
Funds complex offered to
the general public for investment (i.e., a fund not closed to new
accounts), with the following exceptions: (1) Class A
shares of non-money market funds may also be exchanged for Service Class
shares of any retail or government money
market fund; (2) Service Class shares may be exchanged for Class A shares
of any non-money market fund; and
(3) no exchanges are allowed into institutional money market
funds. |
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 69 |
■ |
If
you make an exchange between Class A shares of a money market fund or
Class A2 or Class A shares of a non-money
market fund, you will buy the shares at the public offering price of the
new fund, unless you are otherwise
eligible to buy shares at NAV. |
■ |
Same-fund
exchanges between share classes are permitted subject to the following
conditions: (1) the shareholder must
meet the eligibility guidelines of the class being purchased in the
exchange; (2) exchanges out of Class A and Class
C shares would not be allowed if shares are subject to a CDSC; and (3) for
non-money market funds, in order to exchange
into Class A shares, the shareholder must be able to qualify to purchase
Class A shares at NAV based on current
Prospectus guidelines. |
■ |
An
exchange request will be processed on the same business day, provided that
both funds are open at the time the request
is received. If one or both funds are closed, the exchange will be
processed on the following business day. |
■ |
You
should carefully read the Prospectus for the Fund into which you wish to
exchange. |
■ |
Every
exchange involves redeeming fund shares, which may produce a capital gain
or loss for tax purposes. |
■ |
If
you are making an initial investment into a fund through an exchange, you
must exchange at least the minimum initial
investment amount for the new fund, unless your balance has fallen below
that amount due to investment performance. |
■ |
If
you are making an additional investment into a fund that you already own
through an exchange, you must exchange
at least the minimum subsequent investment amount for the fund you are
exchanging into. |
■ |
Class
A and Class C share exchanges will not trigger a CDSC. The new shares
received in the exchange will continue to
age according to the original shares’ CDSC schedule and will be charged
the CDSC applicable to the original shares
upon redemption. |
Generally,
we will notify you at least 60 days in advance of any changes in the above
exchange policies.
Frequent
Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares
Allspring
Funds reserves the right to reject any purchase or exchange order for any
reason. If a shareholder redeems $20,000
or more (including redemptions that are part of an exchange transaction) from a
Covered Fund (as defined below),
that shareholder is “blocked” from purchasing shares of that Covered Fund
(including purchases that are part of
an exchange transaction) for 30 calendar days after the redemption.
Excessive
trading by Fund shareholders can negatively impact a Fund and its long-term
shareholders in several ways, including
disrupting Fund investment strategies, increasing transaction costs, decreasing
tax efficiency, and diluting the
value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Excessive trading in Fund shares
can negatively impact a Fund’s long-term
performance by requiring it to maintain more assets in cash or to liquidate
portfolio holdings at a disadvantageous
time. Certain Funds may be more susceptible than others to these negative
effects. For example, Funds
that have a greater percentage of their investments in non-U.S. securities may
be more susceptible than other Funds
to arbitrage opportunities resulting from pricing variations due to time zone
differences across international financial
markets. Similarly, Funds that have a greater percentage of their investments in
small company securities may be
more susceptible than other Funds to arbitrage opportunities due to the less
liquid nature of small company securities.
Both types of Funds also may incur higher transaction costs in liquidating
portfolio holdings to meet excessive
redemption levels. Fair value pricing may reduce these arbitrage opportunities,
thereby reducing some of the
negative effects of excessive trading.
Allspring
Funds, other than the Adjustable Rate Government Fund, Conservative Income Fund,
Ultra Short-Term Income
Fund and Ultra Short-Term Municipal Income Fund (“Ultra-Short Funds”) and the
money market funds, (the “Covered
Funds”).
The Covered Funds are not designed to serve as vehicles for frequent trading.
The Covered Funds actively
discourage and take steps to prevent the portfolio disruption and negative
effects on long-term shareholders that
can result from excessive trading activity by Covered Fund shareholders. The
Board has approved the Covered Funds’
policies and procedures, which provide, among other things, that Allspring
Funds Management may deem trading
activity to be excessive if it determines that such trading activity would
likely be disruptive to a Covered Fund by
increasing expenses or lowering returns. In this regard, the Covered Funds take
steps to avoid accommodating frequent
purchases and redemptions of shares by Covered Fund shareholders. Allspring
Funds Management monitors available
shareholder trading information across all Covered Funds on a daily basis. If a
shareholder redeems $20,000 or
more (including redemptions that are part of an exchange transaction) from a
Covered Fund, that shareholder is “blocked”
from purchasing shares of that Covered Fund (including purchases that are part
of an exchange transaction) for
30 calendar days after the redemption. This policy does not apply
to:
70 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
■ |
Dividend
reinvestments; |
■ |
Systematic
investments or exchanges where the financial intermediary
maintaining the shareholder account identifies
the transaction as a systematic redemption or purchase at the time of the
transaction; |
■ |
Rebalancing
transactions within certain asset allocation or “wrap” programs where the
financial intermediary maintaining
a shareholder account is able to identify the transaction as part of an
asset allocation program approved by
Allspring
Funds Management; |
■ |
Rebalancing
transactions by an institutional client of Allspring
Funds Management or its affiliate following a model
portfolio
offered by Allspring
Funds Management or its
affiliate; |
■ |
Transactions
initiated by a “fund of funds” or Section 529 Plan into an underlying fund
investment; |
■ |
Permitted
exchanges between share classes of the same
Fund; |
■ |
Certain
transactions involving participants in employer-sponsored retirement
plans, including: participant withdrawals
due to mandatory distributions, rollovers and hardships, withdrawals of
shares acquired by participants through
payroll deductions, and shares acquired or sold by a participant in
connection with plan loans; |
■ |
Purchases
below $20,000 (including purchases that are part of an exchange
transaction); and |
■ |
Purchases
effected in connection with in-kind redemptions in accordance with the
Funds’ Policies and Procedures for
Disclosure of Fund Portfolio
Holdings. |
The
money market funds and the Ultra-Short Funds.
Because the money market funds and Ultra-Short Funds are often used
for short-term investments, they are designed to accommodate more frequent
purchases and redemptions than the
Covered Funds. As a result, the money market funds and Ultra-Short Funds do not
anticipate that frequent purchases
and redemptions, under normal circumstances, will have significant adverse
consequences to the money market
funds or Ultra-Short Funds or their shareholders. Although the money market
funds and Ultra-Short Funds do not
prohibit frequent trading, Allspring
Funds Management will seek to prevent an investor from utilizing the
money market
funds and Ultra-Short Funds to facilitate frequent purchases and redemptions of
shares in the Covered Funds in contravention
of the policies and procedures adopted by the Covered Funds.
All
Allspring
Funds.
In addition, Allspring
Funds Management reserves the right to accept purchases, redemptions
and exchanges
made in excess of applicable trading restrictions in designated accounts held by
Allspring
Funds Management or
its affiliate that are used at all times exclusively for addressing operational
matters related to shareholder
accounts, such as testing of account functions, and are maintained at low
balances that do not exceed specified
dollar amount limitations.
In
the event that an asset allocation or “wrap” program is unable to implement the
policy outlined above, Allspring
Funds
Management may grant a program-level exception to this policy. A
financial intermediary relying on the exception
is required to provide Allspring
Funds Management with specific information regarding its program and
ongoing
information about its program upon request.
A
financial intermediary through whom an investor may purchase shares of the Fund
may independently attempt to identify
excessive trading and take steps to deter such activity. As a result, a
financial intermediary may on its own limit or
permit trading activity of its customers who invest in Fund shares using
standards different from the standards used by
Allspring
Funds Management and discussed in the applicable
Fund’s Prospectus. Allspring
Funds Management may permit
a financial intermediary to enforce its own internal policies and procedures
concerning frequent trading rather than
the policies set forth above in instances where Allspring
Funds Management reasonably believes that the intermediary’s
policies and procedures effectively discourage disruptive trading activity. If
an investor purchases Fund shares
through a financial intermediary, the investor should be instructed to contact
the intermediary for more information
about whether and how restrictions or limitations on trading activity will be
applied to the investor’s account.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 71 |
Account
Policies
Advance
Notice of Large Transactions.
We strongly urge you to make all purchases and redemptions of Fund shares
as
early in the day as possible and to notify us or your intermediary at least one
day in advance of transactions in Fund shares
in excess of $1 million. This will help us to manage the Funds most effectively.
When you give this advance notice,
please provide your name and account number.
Householding.
To help keep Fund expenses low, a single copy of a Prospectus or shareholder
report may be sent to shareholders
of the same household. If your household currently receives a single copy of a
Prospectus or shareholder report
and you would prefer to receive multiple copies, please call Investor Services
at 1-800-222-8222 or contact your financial
professional.
Retirement
Accounts.
We offer a variety of retirement account types for individuals and small
businesses. There may be
special distribution requirements for a retirement account, such as required
distributions or mandatory Federal income
tax withholdings. For more information about the retirement accounts listed
below, including any distribution requirements,
call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222. For retirement accounts held directly
with a Fund, certain fees may
apply including an annual account maintenance fee.
The
retirement accounts available for individuals and small businesses
are:
■ |
Individual
Retirement Accounts, including Traditional IRAs and Roth
IRAs. |
■ |
Small
business retirement accounts, including Simple IRAs and SEP
IRAs. |
Small
Account Redemptions.
We reserve the right to redeem accounts that have values that fall below a
Fund’s minimum
initial investment amount due to shareholder redemptions (as opposed to market
movement). Before doing so,
we will give you approximately 60 days to bring your account value above the
Fund’s minimum initial investment amount.
Please call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222 or contact your financial
professional for further details.
Transaction
Authorizations.
We may accept telephone, electronic, and clearing agency transaction
instructions from anyone
who represents that he or she is a shareholder and provides reasonable
confirmation of his or her identity. Neither
we nor Allspring Funds will be liable for any losses incurred if we follow such
instructions we reasonably believe to
be genuine. For transactions through our website, we may assign personal
identification numbers (PINs) and you will need
to create a login ID and password for account access. To safeguard your account,
please keep these credentials confidential.
Contact us immediately if you believe there is a discrepancy on your
confirmation statement or if you believe
someone has obtained unauthorized access to your online access
credentials.
Identity
Verification.
We are required by law to obtain from you certain personal information that will
be used to verify your
identity. If you do not provide the information, we will not be able to open
your account. In the rare event that we are
unable to verify your identity as required by law, we reserve the right to
redeem your account at the current NAV of the
Fund’s shares. You will be responsible for any losses, taxes, expenses, fees, or
other results of such a redemption.
Right
to Freeze Accounts, Suspend Account Services or Reject or Terminate an
Investment.
We reserve the right, to the
extent permitted by law and/or regulations, to freeze any account or suspend
account services when we have received
reasonable notice (written or otherwise) of a dispute between registered or
beneficial account owners or when
we believe a fraudulent transaction may occur or has occurred. Additionally, we
reserve the right to reject any purchase
or exchange request and to terminate a shareholder’s investment, including
closing the shareholder’s account.
72 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Distributions
The
Funds declare distributions of any net investment income daily, and pay such
distributions monthly. The Funds generally
make distributions of any realized net capital gains annually. Please note,
distributions have the effect of reducing
the NAV per share by the amount distributed.
We
offer the following distribution options. To change your current option for
payment of distributions, please call Investor
Services at 1-800-222-8222.
■ |
Automatic
Reinvestment Option—Allows you to use distributions to buy new shares of
the same class of the Fund that
generated the distributions. The new shares are purchased at NAV generally
on the day the distribution is paid. This
option is automatically assigned to your account unless you specify
another option. |
■ |
Check
Payment Option—Allows you to receive distributions via checks mailed to
your address of record or to another
name and address which you have specified in written instructions. A
Medallion Guarantee may also be required.
If checks remain uncashed for six months or are undeliverable by the Post
Office, we will reinvest the distributions
at the earliest date possible, and future distributions will be
automatically reinvested. |
■ |
Bank
Account Payment Option—Allows you to receive distributions directly in a
checking or savings account through
EFT. The bank account must be linked to your Allspring
Fund account. Any distribution returned to us due to an
invalid banking instruction will be sent to your address of record by
check at the earliest date possible, and future distributions
will be automatically reinvested. |
■ |
Directed
Distribution Purchase Option—Allows you to buy shares of a different
Allspring
Fund of the same share class.
The new shares are purchased at NAV generally on the day the distribution
is paid. In order to use this option, you
need to identify the Fund and account the distributions are coming from,
and the Fund and account to which the
distributions are being directed. You must meet any required minimum
investment amounts in both Funds prior to
using this option. |
You
are eligible to earn distributions beginning on the business day after the
Fund’s transfer agent or an authorized intermediary
receives your purchase request in good order.
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 73 |
Other
Information
Taxes
The
following discussion regarding federal income taxes is based on laws that were
in effect as of the date of this Prospectus
and summarizes only some of the important federal income tax considerations
affecting the Funds and you as
a shareholder. It does not apply to foreign or tax-exempt shareholders or those
holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged
account, such as a 401(k) Plan or IRA. This discussion is not intended as a
substitute for careful tax planning.
You should consult your tax adviser about your specific tax situation. Please
see the Statement of Additional Information
for additional federal income tax information.
The
Fund elected to be treated and intends to qualify each year as a regulated
investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. A RIC is not subject to tax at the corporate
level on income and gains from
investments that are distributed in a timely manner to shareholders. However,
the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC would
result in corporate level taxation, and consequently, a reduction in income
available for distribution to you as a shareholder.
We
will pass on to a Fund’s shareholders substantially all of the Fund’s net
investment income and realized net capital gains,
if any. It is intended that distributions from the Fund’s net interest income
from municipal obligations generally will
not be subject to federal income tax, although a portion of such distributions
could be subject to federal AMT for individual
shareholders. Individual shareholders should consult their tax advisers
regarding their specific tax situation. For
the state-specific Funds, it is intended that distributions attributable to
tax-exempt securities of a state and its subdivisions
will also not be subject to that particular state’s individual income taxes if
the Fund primarily invests in such
securities. Distributions from a Fund’s ordinary income and net short-term
capital gain, if any, generally will be taxable
to you as ordinary income. Distributions from a Fund’s net long-term capital
gain, if any, generally will be taxable
to you as long-term capital gain.
Corporate
shareholders should not expect to deduct a portion of their distributions when
determining their taxable income.
Individual
taxpayers are subject to a maximum tax rate of 37% on ordinary income and a
maximum tax rate on long-term
capital gains and qualified dividends of 20%. For U.S. individuals with income
exceeding $200,000 ($250,000
if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on
“net investment income,” including
interest, dividends, and capital gains. Corporations are subject to tax on all
income and gains at a tax rate of 21%.
To
the extent a distribution from a Fund is taxable, such distribution generally
will be taxable to you when paid, whether you
take distributions in cash or automatically reinvest them in additional Fund
shares. Following the end of each year, we
will notify you of the federal income tax status of your distributions for the
year.
If
you buy shares of a Fund shortly before it makes a taxable distribution, your
distribution will, in effect, be a taxable return
of part of your investment. Similarly, if you buy shares of a Fund when it holds
appreciated securities, you will receive
a taxable return of part of your investment if and when the Fund sells the
appreciated securities and distributes the
gain. The Funds have built up, or have the potential to build up, high levels of
unrealized appreciation.
Your
redemptions (including redemptions in-kind) and exchanges of Fund shares
ordinarily will result in a taxable capital
gain or loss, depending on the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed
to receive in the case of exchanges)
and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid) for them. Such capital gain
or loss generally will be long-term
capital gain or loss if you have held your redeemed or exchanged Fund shares for
more than one year at the time
of redemption or exchange. In certain circumstances, losses realized on the
redemption or exchange of Fund shares
may be disallowed.
When
you receive a distribution from a Fund or redeem shares, you may be subject to
backup withholding.
74 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Financial
Highlights
The
following tables are intended
to help you understand a Fund’s financial performance for the past five years
(or since inception,
if shorter). Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund
share. Total returns represent the rate
you would have earned (or lost) on an investment in each
Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). The information
in the following tables has
been derived from the Funds’
financial statements
which have
been audited by KPMG
LLP, the Funds’
independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with
each
Fund’s financial statements,
is included in each
Fund’s filing on Form N-CSR, a copy of which is available upon
request.
California
Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund
For
a share outstanding throughout each period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Year
ended June 30 |
Administrator
Class |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
to shareholders from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Total
return2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios
to average net assets (annualized) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
1 |
Calculated
based upon average shares outstanding |
2 |
Returns
include adjustments required by U.S. GAAP and may differ from net asset
values and performance reported elsewhere. |
California
Tax-Free Fund
For
a share outstanding throughout each period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Year
ended June 30 |
Administrator
Class |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
to shareholders from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Total
return2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios
to average net assets (annualized) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
1 |
Calculated
based upon average shares outstanding |
2 |
Returns
include adjustments required by U.S. GAAP and may differ from net asset
values and performance reported
elsewhere. |
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 75 |
High
Yield Municipal Bond Fund
For
a share outstanding throughout each period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Year
ended June 30 |
Administrator
Class |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
to shareholders from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized gains |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
distributions to shareholders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Total
return2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios
to average net assets (annualized) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
1 |
Calculated
based upon average shares outstanding |
2 |
Returns
include adjustments required by U.S. GAAP and may differ from net asset
values and performance reported elsewhere. |
Intermediate
Tax/AMT-Free Fund
For
a share outstanding throughout each period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Year
ended June 30 |
Administrator
Class |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
to shareholders from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Total
return2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios
to average net assets (annualized) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
1 |
Calculated
based upon average shares outstanding |
2 |
Returns
include adjustments required by U.S. GAAP and may differ from net asset
values and performance reported
elsewhere. |
76 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Minnesota
Tax-Free Fund
For
a share outstanding throughout each period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Year
ended June 30 |
Administrator
Class |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
to shareholders from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized gains |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
distributions to shareholders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Total
return2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios
to average net assets (annualized) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
1 |
Calculated
based upon average shares outstanding |
2 |
Returns
include adjustments required by U.S. GAAP and may differ from net asset
values and performance reported elsewhere. |
Municipal
Bond Fund
For
a share outstanding throughout each period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Year
ended June 30 |
Administrator
Class |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
to shareholders from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized gains |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
distributions to shareholders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Total
return2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios
to average net assets (annualized) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
1 |
Calculated
based upon average shares outstanding |
2 |
Returns
include adjustments required by U.S. GAAP and may differ from net asset
values and performance reported
elsewhere. |
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 77 |
Short-Term
Municipal Bond Fund
For
a share outstanding throughout each period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Year
ended June 30 |
Administrator
Class |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
to shareholders from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Total
return2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios
to average net assets (annualized) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
1 |
Calculated
based upon average shares outstanding |
2 |
Returns
include adjustments required by U.S. GAAP and may differ from net asset
values and performance reported elsewhere. |
Strategic
Municipal Bond Fund
For
a share outstanding throughout each period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Year
ended June 30 |
Administrator
Class |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
to shareholders from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized gains |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
distributions to shareholders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Total
return3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios
to average net assets (annualized) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
1 |
Calculated
based upon average shares outstanding |
2 |
Amount
is less than $0.005. |
3 |
Returns
include adjustments required by U.S. GAAP and may differ from net asset
values and performance reported
elsewhere. |
78 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Ultra
Short-Term Municipal Income Fund
For
a share outstanding throughout each period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Year
ended June 30 |
Administrator
Class |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
Net
asset value, beginning of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
to shareholders from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
asset value, end of period |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
Total
return2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios
to average net assets (annualized) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
1 |
Calculated
based upon average shares outstanding |
2 |
Returns
include adjustments required by U.S. GAAP and may differ from net asset
values and performance reported
elsewhere. |
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 79 |
80 |
| Municipal
Fixed Income Funds |
Municipal
Fixed Income Funds
|
| 81 |
| |
FOR
MORE INFORMATION
More
information on a Fund is available free upon request, including
the following documents:
Statement
of Additional Information (“SAI”)
Supplements
the disclosures made by this Prospectus. The SAI,
which has been filed with the SEC, is incorporated
by reference into this Prospectus and therefore
is legally part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual
Reports and Long Form Financial Statements
Additional
information about a Fund’s investments is available
in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders
and in the annual and semi-annual long form
financial statements filed on Form N-CSR. In the Fund’s
annual report, you will find a discussion of the market
conditions and investment strategies that significantly
affected the Fund’s performance during its last
fiscal year.
To
obtain copies of the above documents or for more information
about Allspring
Funds, contact us:
By
telephone: Individual
Investors: 1-800-222-8222 Retail
Investment Professionals: 1-888-877-9275 Institutional
Investment Professionals: 1-800-260-5969 |
By
mail: Allspring
Funds P.O.
Box 219967 Kansas
City, MO 64121-9967
Online: allspringglobal.com
From
the SEC: Visit
the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC
(phone 1-202-551-8090 for operational information
for the SEC’s Public Reference Room) or the
SEC’s website at sec.gov.
To
obtain information for a fee, write or email:SEC’s
Public Reference Section100
“F” Street, NEWashington,
DC 20549-0102[email protected]The
Allspring
Funds are distributed byAllspring
Funds Distributor, LLC, a member of
FINRA. |
| |
©
2024
Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC. All rights
reserved. |
PRO0633
11-24 ICA
Reg. No. 811-09253 |