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Part I: Appendix I-K—Additional Information

Fund and its Fiscal Year End	Class	CUSIP Number
DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund	Class A	25159G811
Fiscal Year End: 11/30	Class C	25159G746
	Class R	25159G753
	Class R6	25159G696
	Class S	25159G761
	Institutional Class	25159G779

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Statement of Additional Information (SAI)—Part II

	Page
Part II	II-1
Management of the Funds	II-1
Board Members	II-6
Fund Organization	II-9
Purchase and Redemption of Shares	II-15
Purchases	II-16
Redemptions	II-18
Exchanges	II-22
Compensation of Financial Intermediaries	II-23
Distribution and Service Agreements and Plans	II-27
Investments	II-31
Investments, Practices and Techniques, and Risks	II-31
Portfolio Transactions	II-31
Portfolio Holdings Information	II-34
Net Asset Value	II-35
Proxy Voting Policy and Guidelines	II-39
Miscellaneous	II-39
Ratings Of Investments	II-39
Part II: Appendix II-A—Board Members, Advisory Board Members and Officers	II-46
Part II: Appendix II-B—Portfolio Management Compensation	II-51
Part II: Appendix II-C—Contractual Fee Rates of Service Providers	II-57
Part II: Appendix II-D—Financial Services Firms’ Compensation	II-66
Part II: Appendix II-E—Firms With Which DWS Has Revenue Sharing Arrangements	II-69
Part II: Appendix II-F—Class A Sales Charge Schedule	II-74
Part II: Appendix II-G—Investments, Practices and Techniques, and Risks	II-76
Part II: Appendix II-H—Taxes	II-143
Part II: Appendix II-I—Proxy Voting Policy and Guidelines—DWS Americas	II-164

Part II

Part II of this SAI includes policies, investment techniques and information that apply to the DWS funds. Unless otherwise noted, the use of the term “fund” applies to all DWS funds.

Management of the Funds

Investment Advisor. DIMA, with headquarters at 875 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022, is the investment advisor for the fund. Under the oversight of the Board, the Advisor makes investment decisions, buys and sells securities for the fund and conducts research that leads to these purchase and sale decisions. The Advisor is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA (DWS Group), a separate, publicly-listed financial services firm that is an indirect, majority-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. The Advisor and its predecessors have more than 90 years of experience managing mutual funds and provide a full range of global investment advisory services to institutional and retail clients.

DWS represents the asset management activities conducted by DWS Group or any of its subsidiaries, including DIMA, other affiliated investment advisors and the Distributor. DWS is a global organization that offers a wide range of investing expertise and resources, including hundreds of portfolio managers and analysts and an office network that reaches the world’s major investment centers. This well-resourced global investment platform brings together a wide variety of experience and investment insight across industries, regions, asset classes and investing styles.

The Advisor and its affiliates may utilize the resources of DWS’s global investment platform to provide investment management services through branch offices or affiliates located outside the US. In some cases, the Advisor and its affiliates may also utilize DWS’s branch offices or affiliates located in the US or outside the US to perform certain services, such as trade execution, trade matching and settlement, or various administrative, back-office or other services. The delegation of trade execution, trade matching and settlement services to DWS’s branch offices or affiliates will not result in additional fees for a fund or a fund’s shareholders. The branch offices or affiliates receive a flat fee for their trade routing services, payable by the Advisor, and do not have authority to select portfolio investments or otherwise provide advice to a fund. DWS’s branch offices or affiliates may have discretion to select intermediaries to execute trades and to aggregate trade orders for a fund with those of other DWS funds

as well as non-DWS funds clients. The delegation of trade execution, trade matching and settlement services to DWS’s branch offices or affiliates may result in certain savings for the Advisor and its affiliates through consolidation of functions and, as a result, may create a conflict of interest between the Advisor and its affiliates and a fund. To the extent services are performed outside the US, such activity may be subject to both US and foreign regulation. It is possible that the jurisdiction in which the Advisor or its affiliate performs such services may impose restrictions or limitations on portfolio transactions that are different from, and in addition to, those that apply in the US.

In some instances, the investments for a fund may be managed by the same individuals who manage one or more other mutual funds advised by DIMA that have similar names, objectives and investment styles. A fund may differ from these other mutual funds in size, cash flow patterns, distribution arrangements, expenses and tax matters. Accordingly, the holdings and performance of a fund may be expected to vary from those of other mutual funds.

Certain investments may be appropriate for a fund and also for other clients advised by DIMA. Investment decisions for a fund and other clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives and after consideration of such factors as their current holdings, availability of cash for investment and the size of their investments generally. Frequently, a particular security may be bought or sold for only one client or in different amounts and at different times for more than one but less than all clients. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when that same security is being sold for one or more other clients. In addition, purchases or sales of the same security may be made for two or more clients on the same day. In such event, such transactions will be allocated among the clients in a manner believed by DIMA to be equitable to each. In some cases, this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or amount of the securities purchased or sold by a fund. Purchase and sale orders for a fund may be combined with those of other clients of DIMA in the interest of achieving the most favorable net results to a fund.

DIMA, its parent or its subsidiaries, or affiliates may have deposit, loan and other commercial banking relationships with the issuers of obligations which may be

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purchased on behalf of a fund, including outstanding loans to such issuers which could be repaid in whole or in part with the proceeds of securities so purchased. Such affiliates deal, trade and invest for their own accounts in such obligations and are among the leading dealers of various types of such obligations. DIMA has informed a fund that, in making its investment decisions, it does not obtain or use material inside information in its possession or in the possession of any of its affiliates. In making investment recommendations for a fund, DIMA will not inquire or take into consideration whether an issuer of securities proposed for purchase or sale by a fund is a customer of DIMA, its parent or its subsidiaries or affiliates. Also, in dealing with its customers, the Advisor, its parent, subsidiaries, and affiliates will not inquire or take into consideration whether securities of such customers are held by any fund managed by DIMA or any such affiliate.

Officers and employees of the Advisor from time to time may have transactions with various banks, including a fund’s custodian bank. It is the Advisor’s opinion that the terms and conditions of those transactions which have occurred were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other fund relationships.

From time to time, DIMA, DWS Group, Deutsche Bank AG or their affiliates may at their sole discretion invest their own assets in shares of a fund for such purposes it deems appropriate, including investments designed to assist in the management of a fund. Any such investment may be hedged by DIMA, DWS Group, Deutsche Bank AG or their affiliates and, in that event, the return on such investment, net of the effect of the hedge, would be expected to differ from the return of a fund. DIMA, DWS Group, Deutsche Bank AG or their affiliates have no obligation to make any investment in a fund and the amount of any such investment may or may not be significant in comparison to the level of assets of a fund. In the event that such an investment is made, except as otherwise required under the 1940 Act, DIMA, DWS Group, Deutsche Bank AG or their affiliates would be permitted to redeem the investment at such time that they deem appropriate.

DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc., DWS Distributors, Inc. and their advisory affiliates (“DWS Service Providers”) have sought and obtained a permanent order from the Securities and Exchange Commission providing exemptive relief under Section 9 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, on which the DWS Service Providers rely in connection

with the continued provision of investment advisory and underwriting services to the funds and other registered investment companies.

DWS Name. Under a separate agreement, DWS Investment GmbH has granted a license to DWS Group which permits the DWS funds to utilize the “DWS” trademark.

Consultant. For DWS Emerging Markets Equity Fund, the Consultant provides current analysis and views on Latin American politics, currencies, risks, markets and companies to DIMA in connection with the investment management services it provides to the fund.

Terms of the Investment Management Agreement. Pursuant to the applicable Investment Management Agreement, DIMA provides continuing investment management of the assets of a fund. In addition to the investment management of the assets of a fund, the Advisor determines the investments to be made for each fund, including what portion of its assets remain uninvested in cash or cash equivalents, and with whom the orders for investments are placed, consistent with a fund’s policies as stated in its prospectus and SAI, or as adopted by a fund’s Board. DIMA will also monitor, to the extent not monitored by a fund’s administrator or other agent, a fund’s compliance with its investment and tax guidelines and other compliance policies.

DIMA provides assistance to a fund’s Board in valuing the securities and other instruments held by a fund, to the extent reasonably required by valuation policies and procedures that may be adopted by a fund.

Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, (unless otherwise provided in the agreement or as determined by a fund’s Board and to the extent permitted by applicable law), DIMA pays the compensation and expenses of all the Board members, officers, and executive employees of a fund, including a fund’s share of payroll taxes, who are affiliated persons of DIMA.

The Investment Management Agreement provides that a fund, except as noted below, is generally responsible for expenses that include, but are not limited to: fees payable to the Advisor; outside legal, accounting or auditing expenses, including with respect to expenses related to negotiation, acquisition or distribution of portfolio investments; maintenance of books and records that are maintained by a fund, a fund’s custodian, or other agents of a fund; taxes and governmental fees; fees and expenses of a fund’s accounting agent, custodian, sub-custodians,

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depositories, transfer agents, dividend reimbursing agents and registrars; payment for portfolio pricing or valuation services to pricing agents, accountants, bankers and other specialists, if any; brokerage commissions or other costs of acquiring or disposing of any portfolio securities or other instruments of a fund; and litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of a fund’s business.

DIMA may enter into arrangements with affiliates and third party service providers to perform various administrative, back-office and other services. Such service providers may be located in the US or in non-US jurisdictions. The costs and expenses of such arrangements are generally borne by DIMA, not by a fund.

Shareholders are not parties to, or intended (or “third party”) beneficiaries of the Investment Management Agreement, and the Investment Management Agreement is not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce it or to seek any remedy under it, either directly or on behalf of a fund.

For DWS Latin America Equity Fund, in rendering investment subadvisory services, the Subadvisor may use the resources of a foreign (non-US) affiliate (the Overseas Affiliate) that is not registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the Advisers Act), to provide services to the fund. Under a Participating Affiliates Agreement, the Overseas Affiliate may be considered a Participating Affiliate of IUAM as that term is used in relief granted by the staff of the SEC allowing US-registered advisers to use the resources of unregistered advisory affiliates subject to the regulatory supervision of the registered adviser. Each Participating Affiliate and any of their respective employees who provide services to the fund are considered under a Participating Affiliate Agreement to be an “associated person” of the Subadvisor as that term is defined in the Advisers Act for purposes of the Subadvisor’s required supervision. Itaú Unibanco S.A. is a Participating Affiliate of the Subadvisor. Itaú Unibanco S.A. has appointed the Subadvisor to act as its resident agent for service of process in the US.

For DWS ESG Core Equity Fund and DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund, the Investment Management Agreement also provides that DIMA shall render administrative services (not otherwise provided by third parties) necessary for a fund’s operation as an open-end investment company including, but not limited to, preparing reports and notices to the Board and shareholders; supervising, negotiating contractual arrangements with, and monitoring various third-party service

providers to the Registrant (such as the Registrant’s transfer agent, pricing agents, custodian, accountants and others); preparing and making filings with the SEC and other regulatory agencies; assisting in the preparation and filing of the Registrant’s federal, state and local tax returns; preparing and filing the Registrant’s federal excise tax returns; assisting with investor and public relations matters; monitoring the valuation of securities and the calculation of net asset value; monitoring the registration of shares of the Registrant under applicable federal and state securities laws; maintaining the Registrant’s books and records to the extent not otherwise maintained by a third party; assisting in establishing accounting policies of the Registrant; assisting in the resolution of accounting and legal issues; establishing and monitoring the Registrant’s operating budget; processing the payment of the Registrant’s bills; assisting the Registrant in, and otherwise arranging for, the payment of distributions and dividends; and otherwise assisting the Registrant in the conduct of its business, subject to the direction and control of the Board.

On behalf of DWS ESG Core Equity Fund and DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund, pursuant to a sub-administration agreement between DIMA and State Street Bank & Trust Company (SSB), DIMA has delegated certain administrative functions for each of these funds to SSB under the Investment Management Agreement. The costs and expenses of such delegation are borne by DIMA, not by a fund.

The Investment Management Agreement allows DIMA to delegate any of its duties under the Investment Management Agreement to a subadvisor, subject to a majority vote of the Board, including a majority of the Board who are not interested persons of a fund, and, if required by applicable law, subject to a majority vote of a fund’s shareholders.

The Investment Management Agreement provides that DIMA shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a fund in connection with matters to which the agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful malfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of DIMA in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by DIMA of its obligations and duties under the agreement. The Investment Management Agreement may be terminated at any time, without payment of penalty, by either party or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a fund on 60 days’ written notice.

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The Investment Management Agreement continues in effect from year to year only if its continuance is approved annually by the vote of a majority of the Board Members who are not parties to such agreement or interested persons of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and either by a vote of the Board or of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a fund.

Under the Investment Management Agreement, a fund, except as otherwise noted, pays DIMA a management fee calculated daily based on the prior day’s net assets and then aggregated for a particular month. For DWS ESG Core Equity Fund and DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund, the management fee paid to DIMA is calculated and payable monthly based on the average daily net assets for the particular month. The annual management fee rate for each fund is set forth in Part II – Appendix II-C.

CROCI® Investment Strategy and Valuation Group (applicable only to those funds that employ a CROCI® strategy). The CROCI® Investment Strategy and Valuation Group is a unit within the DWS Group, through a licensing arrangement with the funds’ Advisor. The CROCI® Investment Strategy and Valuation Group is responsible for devising the CROCI® strategy and calculating the CROCI® Economic P/E Ratios. The CROCI® Investment Strategy and Valuation Group is not responsible for the management of the funds and does not act in a fiduciary capacity in relation to the funds or the investors in the funds. The CROCI® strategy is provided without any representations or warranties of any kind and the CROCI® Investment Strategy and Valuation Group shall not be responsible for any error or omissions in any CROCI® strategy.

The calculation of the CROCI® Economic P/E Ratios is determined by the CROCI® Investment Strategy and Valuation Group using publicly available information. This publicly available information is adjusted on rules-based assumptions made by the CROCI® Investment and Valuation Group that, subsequently, may prove not to have been correct. As CROCI® Economic P/Es Ratios are calculated using historical information, there can be no guarantee of the future performance of the CROCI® strategy.

Subadvisors (applicable only to those funds that have subadvisory arrangements as described in Part I). Each Subadvisor serves as subadvisor to a fund pursuant to the terms of a subadvisory agreement between it and DIMA (Subadvisory Agreement).

DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited, Level 52, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong, serves as Subadvisor to all or a portion of the assets of one or more funds. DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited is an investment advisor registered with the SEC. DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited is an affiliate of DIMA and a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of DWS Group.

DWS International GmbH, Mainzer Landstrasse 11-17, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, serves as Subadvisor to all or a portion of the assets of one or more funds. DWS International GmbH is an investment advisor registered with the SEC and with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority in Germany, an affiliate of DIMA and a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of DWS Group.

Itaú USA Asset Management, Inc., 540 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, New York 10022, a subsidiary of Itaú Unibanco S.A. (a Brazilian publicly quoted bank), serves as Subadvisor to all or a portion of the assets of one or more funds. The Subadvisor is an investment advisor registered with the SEC.

Northern Trust Investments, Inc. (NTI) 50 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60603, a subsidiary of Northern Trust Corporation, serves as Subadvisor to all or a portion of the assets of one or more funds. NTI is an Illinois State Banking Corporation and an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. It primarily manages assets for institutional and individual separately managed accounts, investment companies and bank common and collective funds. Northern Trust Corporation is regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as a financial holding company under the U.S. Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended.

RREEF America L.L.C. (RREEF), 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as Subadvisor to all or a portion of the assets of one or more funds. RREEF is an investment advisor registered with the SEC. RREEF is an affiliate of DIMA and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of DWS Group. RREEF has provided real estate investment management services to institutional investors since 1975 and has been an investment advisor of real estate securities since 1993.

Terms of the Subadvisory Agreements. Pursuant to the terms of the applicable Subadvisory Agreement, a Subadvisor makes the investment decisions, buys and sells securities, and conducts the research that leads to these purchase and sale decisions for a fund. A Subadvisor

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is also responsible for selecting brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions and for negotiating brokerage commissions and dealer charges on behalf of a fund. Under the terms of the Subadvisory Agreement, a Subadvisor manages the investment and reinvestment of a fund's assets and provides such investment advice, research and assistance as DIMA may, from time to time, reasonably request.

Each Subadvisory Agreement provides that the Subadvisor will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a fund in connection with matters to which the Subadvisory Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from (a) the subadvisor causing a fund to be in violation of any applicable federal or state law, rule or regulation or any investment policy or restriction set forth in a fund's prospectus or as may be provided in writing by the Board or DIMA, or (b) willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Subadvisor in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by the Subadvisor of its obligations and duties under the Subadvisory Agreement.

A Subadvisory Agreement continues from year to year only as long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (a) by a majority of the Board Members who are not parties to such agreement or interested persons of any such party, and (b) by the shareholders or the Board of the Registrant. A Subadvisory Agreement may be terminated at any time upon 60 days’ written notice by DIMA or by the Board of the Registrant or by majority vote of the outstanding shares of a fund, and will terminate automatically upon assignment or upon termination of a fund’s Investment Management Agreement.

Under each Subadvisory Agreement between DIMA and a Subadvisor, DIMA, not a fund, pays the Subadvisor a subadvisory fee based on the percentage of the assets overseen by the Subadvisor or based on a percentage of the fee received by DIMA from a fund. The Subadvisor fee is paid directly by DIMA at specific rates negotiated between DIMA and the Subadvisor. No fund is responsible for paying the Subadvisor.

Sub-Subadvisors (applicable only to those funds that have sub-subadvisory arrangements as described in Part I). Each Sub-Subadvisor serves as a sub-subadvisor with respect to a fund pursuant to the terms of the applicable sub-subadvisory agreement between it and the Subadvisor (Sub-Subadvisory Agreement).

DWS Alternatives Global Limited, 30 Fenchurch Avenue, The Willis Building - London, United Kingdom, EC3M 5AD, serves as Sub-Subadvisor to a fund. DWS Alternatives Global Limited is an investment advisor registered with the SEC. In addition, DWS Alternatives Global Limited is an affiliate of DIMA and a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of DWS Group.

DWS Investments Australia Limited, Level 16, Deutsche Bank Place, Corner of Hunter & Phillip Streets, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia, serves as Sub-Subadvisor to a fund. DWS Investments Australia Limited is an investment advisor registered with the SEC. In addition, DWS Investments Australia Limited is an affiliate of DIMA and a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of DWS Group.

Terms of the Sub-Subadvisory Agreements. Pursuant to the terms of the applicable Sub-Subadvisory Agreement and under the oversight of the Board, DIMA and the Subadvisor, the Sub-Subadvisors provide investment management services with respect to a fund’s assets related to specific foreign markets and provides such investment advice, research and assistance as the Subadvisor may, from time to time, reasonably request. The Subadvisor allocates, and reallocates as it deems appropriate, each of a fund’s assets among the Sub-Subadvisors. A Sub-Subadvisor is also responsible for selecting brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions and for negotiating brokerage commissions and dealer charges on behalf of a fund. Under the terms of the Sub-Subadvisory Agreement, a Sub-Subadvisor manages the investment and reinvestment of a portion of a fund’s assets.

Each Sub-Subadvisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Subadvisor shall not be subject to any liability for any act or omission in the course of providing investment management services to a fund, except a loss resulting from willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Sub-Subadvisor in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by the Sub-Subadvisor of its obligations and duties under the Sub-Subadvisory Agreement.

A Sub-Subadvisory Agreement continues from year to year only as long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (a) by a majority of the Board Members who are not parties to such agreement or interested persons of any such party, and (b) by the shareholders or the Board of the Trust/Corporation. A Sub-Subadvisory Agreement may be terminated at any time upon 60 days’ written notice by the Board of the Trust/Corporation or by majority vote of the outstanding

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shares of a fund, and will terminate automatically upon assignment or upon termination of a fund’s Subadvisory Agreement.

Under the Sub-Subadvisory Agreements, the Subadvisor, not the fund, pays each Sub-Subadvisor a sub-subadvisory fee based on the percentage of the assets overseen by the Sub-Subadvisor from the fee received by the Subadvisor from DIMA. The sub-subadvisory fee is paid directly by a Subadvisor at specific rates negotiated between a Subadvisor and a Sub-Subadvisor. No fund is responsible for paying a Sub-Subadvisor.

Board Members

Board Members and Officers’ Identification and Background. The identification and background of the Board Members and Officers of the Registrant are set forth in Part II—Appendix II-A.

Board Committees and Compensation. Information regarding the Committees of the Board, as well as compensation paid to the Independent Board Members and to Board Members who are not officers of the Registrant, for certain specified periods, is set forth in Part I—Appendix I-B and Part I—Appendix I-C.

Administrator, Fund Accounting Agent, Transfer Agent and Shareholder Service Agent, and Custodian

Administrator. DIMA serves as a fund’s administrator pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement (except for DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund and DWS ESG Core Equity Fund).

For its services under the Administrative Services Agreement, the Administrator receives a fee at the rate set forth in Part II—Appendix II-C. The Administrator will pay Accounting Agency fees out of the Administrative Services fee.

Under the Administrative Services Agreement, the Administrator is obligated on a continuous basis to provide such administrative services as the Board of a fund reasonably deems necessary for the proper administration of a fund. The Administrator provides a fund with personnel; arranges for the preparation and filing of a fund’s tax returns; prepares and submits reports and meeting materials to the Board and the shareholders; prepares and files updates to a fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information as well as other reports required to be filed by the SEC; maintains a fund’s records; provides a fund with office space, equipment and services; supervises, negotiates the contracts of and monitors the perfor

mance of third parties contractors; oversees the tabulation of proxies; monitors the valuation of portfolio securities and monitors compliance with Board-approved valuation procedures; assists in establishing the accounting and tax policies of a fund; assists in the resolution of accounting issues that may arise with respect to a fund; establishes and monitors a fund’s operating expense budgets; reviews and processes a fund’s bills; assists in determining the amount of dividends and distributions available to be paid by a fund, prepares and arranges dividend notifications and provides information to agents to effect payments thereof; provides to the Board periodic and special reports; provides assistance with investor and public relations matters; and monitors the registration of shares under applicable federal and state law. The Administrator also performs certain fund accounting services under the Administrative Services Agreement.

The Administrative Services Agreement provides that the Administrator will not be liable under the Administrative Services Agreement except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties or from the reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder. Pursuant to an agreement between the Administrator and SSB, the Administrator has delegated certain administrative functions to SSB. The costs and expenses of such delegation are borne by the Administrator, not by a fund.

In certain instances, a fund may be eligible to participate in class action settlements involving securities presently or formerly held by the fund. Pursuant to the Advisor’s procedures, approved by the Board, proof of claim forms are routinely filed on behalf of a fund by a third party service provider, with certain limited exceptions. The Board receives periodic reports regarding the implementation of these procedures. Under some circumstances, the Advisor may decide that a fund should not participate in a class action, and instead cause the fund to pursue alternative legal remedies. Where the rights and interests of funds differ, the Advisor might take different approaches to the same class action claim. In addition, laws and processes related to class actions outside of the US differ from laws and processes in the US, and the Board and the Advisor will consider whether or not to join certain foreign class actions based on the facts and circumstances of the class action.

Fund Accounting Agent. For DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund and DWS ESG Core Equity Fund, DIMA, 100 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, is responsible for determining net asset value per share and maintaining the portfolio and general accounting

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records for a fund pursuant to a Fund Accounting Agreement. For its services under a Fund Accounting Agreement, DIMA receives a fee at the rate set forth in Part II — Appendix II-C.

Pursuant to an agreement between DIMA and SSB, DIMA has delegated certain fund accounting functions to SSB under the Fund Accounting Agreement.

Transfer Agent and Shareholder Service Agent. DSC, 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606, an affiliate of the Advisor, is each fund’s transfer agent, dividend-paying agent and shareholder service agent pursuant to a transfer agency and service agreement (Transfer Agency and Services Agreement). Pursuant to a sub-transfer agency agreement between DSC and SS&C GIDS, Inc. (formerly known as DST Systems, Inc.) (SS&C), DSC has delegated certain transfer agent, dividend paying agent and shareholder servicing agent functions to SS&C. The costs and expenses of such delegation are borne by DSC, not by a fund. For its services under the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, DSC receives a fee at the rate set forth in Part II—Appendix II-C. Each fund, or the Advisor (including any affiliate of the Advisor), or both, may pay unaffiliated third parties for providing recordkeeping and other administrative services with respect to accounts of participants in retirement plans or other beneficial owners of shares whose interests are generally held in an omnibus account.

Custodian. Under its custody agreement with a fund, the Custodian (i) maintains separate accounts in the name of a fund, (ii) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of a fund, (iii) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of a fund, and (iv) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of a fund’s portfolio securities. The Custodian has entered into agreements with foreign subcustodians approved by the Board pursuant to Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act.

In some instances, the Custodian may use Deutsche Bank AG or its affiliates, as subcustodian (DB Subcustodian) in certain countries. To the extent a fund holds any securities in the countries in which the Custodian uses a DB Subcustodian as a subcustodian, those securities will be held by DB Subcustodian as part of a larger omnibus account in the name of the Custodian (Omnibus Account). For its services, DB Subcustodian receives (1) an annual fee based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Omnibus Account and (2) transaction charges with respect to transactions that occur within the Omnibus Account (e.g., foreign exchange transactions or corporate transactions). To the extent that a DB

Subcustodian receives any brokerage commissions for any transactions, such transactions and amount of brokerage commissions paid by the fund are set forth in Part I – Appendix I-H.

The Custodian’s fee may be reduced by certain earnings credits in favor of a fund.

Fund Legal Counsel. Provides legal services to the funds.

Trustee/Director Legal Counsel. Serves as legal counsel to the Independent Board Members.

Principal Underwriter and Distribution Agreement. Pursuant to a distribution agreement (Distribution Agreement) with a fund, DDI, 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606, an affiliate of the Advisor, is the principal underwriter and distributor for each class of shares of a fund and acts as agent of a fund in the continuous offering of its shares. The Distribution Agreement remains in effect for a class from year-to-year only if its continuance is approved for the class at least annually by a vote of the Board, including the Board Members who are not parties to the Distribution Agreement or interested persons of any such party.

The Distribution Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment and may be terminated for a class at any time without penalty by a fund or by DDI upon 60 days’ notice. Termination by a fund with respect to a class may be by vote of (i) a majority of the Board Members who are not interested persons of a fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, or (ii) a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the class of a fund, as defined under the 1940 Act. All material amendments must be approved by the Board in the manner described above with respect to the continuation of the Distribution Agreement. The provisions concerning continuation, amendment and termination of a Distribution Agreement are on a fund-by-fund and class-by-class basis.

Under the Distribution Agreement, DDI uses reasonable efforts to sell shares of a fund and may appoint various financial services firms to sell shares of a fund and to provide ongoing shareholder services. DDI bears all of its expenses of providing services pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, including the payment of any commissions, concessions, and distribution and/or shareholder service fees to financial services firms. A fund pays the cost of the registration of its shares for sale under the

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federal securities laws and the registration or qualification of its shares for sale under the securities laws of the various states. A fund also pays the cost for the prospectus and shareholder reports to be typeset and printed for existing shareholders, and DDI, as principal underwriter, pays for the printing and distribution of copies thereof used in connection with the offering of shares to prospective investors. DDI also pays for supplementary sales literature and advertising costs. DDI receives any sales charge upon the purchase of shares of a class with an initial sales charge and pays commissions, concessions and distribution fees to firms for the sale of a fund’s shares. DDI also receives any contingent deferred sales charges paid with respect to the redemption of any shares having such a charge. DDI receives no compensation from a fund as principal underwriter and distributor except with respect to certain fund classes in amounts authorized by a Rule 12b-1 Plan adopted for a class by a fund (see Distribution and Service Agreements and Plans).

Shareholder and Administrative Services. Shareholder and administrative services are provided to certain fund classes under a shareholder services agreement (Services Agreement) with DDI. The Services Agreement continues in effect for each class from year to year so long as such continuance is approved for the class at least annually by a vote of the Board, including the Board Members who are not interested persons of a fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Services Agreement or in any related agreement. The Services Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment and may be terminated for a class at any time without penalty by a fund or by DDI upon 60 days’ notice. Termination by a fund with respect to a class may be by a vote of (i) the majority of the Board Members who are not interested persons of a fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Services Agreement or in any related agreement, or (ii) a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the class of such fund, as defined under the 1940 Act. The Services Agreement may not be amended for a class to increase materially the fee to be paid by a fund without approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such class of a fund, and all material amendments must in any event be approved by the Board in the manner described above with respect to the continuation of the Services Agreement.

Under the Services Agreement, DDI provides, and may appoint various financial services firms to provide, information and services to investors in certain classes of a fund. Firms appointed by DDI provide such office space and equipment, telephone facilities and personnel as is necessary or beneficial for providing information and

services to shareholders in the applicable classes of a fund. Such services and assistance may include, but are not limited to, establishing and maintaining accounts and records, processing purchase and redemption transactions, answering routine inquiries regarding a fund, providing assistance to clients in changing dividend and investment options, account designations and addresses and such other administrative services as may be agreed upon from time to time and permitted by applicable statute, rule or regulation.

DDI bears all of its expenses of providing those services pursuant to the Services Agreement, including the payment of any service fees to financial services firms appointed by DDI to provide such services and DDI receives compensation from a fund for its services under the Services Agreement in amounts authorized by a Rule 12b-1 Plan adopted for a class by a fund (see Distribution and Service Agreements and Plans).

DDI may itself provide some of the above distribution and shareholder and administrative services and may retain any portion of the fees received under the Distribution Agreement and/or the Services Agreement not paid to financial services firms to compensate itself for such distribution and shareholder and administrative functions performed for a fund. Firms to which DDI may pay commissions, concessions, and distribution fees or service fees or other compensation may include affiliates of DDI.

Codes of Ethics. Each fund, the Advisor, each fund’s principal underwriter and distributor, and, if applicable, each fund’s subadvisor(s) (and, if applicable, sub-subadvisor(s)) have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Board Members, officers of a Registrant and employees of the Advisor and principal underwriter are permitted to make personal securities transactions, including transactions in securities that may be purchased or held by a fund, subject to requirements and restrictions set forth in the applicable Code of Ethics. The Advisor’s Code of Ethics contains provisions and requirements designed to identify and address certain conflicts of interest between personal investment activities and the interests of a fund. Among other things, the Advisor’s Code of Ethics prohibits certain types of transactions absent prior approval, imposes time periods during which personal transactions may not be made in certain securities, and requires the submission of duplicate broker confirmations and quarterly reporting of securities transactions. Additional restrictions apply to portfolio managers, traders, research analysts and others involved in the investment advisory process. Exceptions to these

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and other provisions of the Advisor’s or subadvisors Codes of Ethics may be granted in particular circumstances after review by appropriate personnel.

Fund Organization

For each Trust (except Deutsche DWS Asset Allocation Trust, Deutsche DWS Portfolio Trust, Deutsche DWS Tax Free Trust and Cash Account Trust)

The Board has the authority to divide the shares of the Trust into multiple funds by establishing and designating two or more series of the Trust. The Board also has the authority to establish and designate two or more classes of shares of the Trust, or of any series thereof, with variations in the relative rights and preferences between the classes as determined by the Board; provided that all shares of a class shall be identical with each other and with the shares of each other class of the same series except for such variations between the classes, including bearing different expenses, as may be authorized by the Board and not prohibited by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. All shares issued and outstanding are transferable, have no pre-emptive or conversion rights (except as may be determined by the Board) and are redeemable as described in the SAI and in the prospectus. Each share has equal rights with each other share of the same class of the fund as to voting, dividends, exchanges, conversion features and liquidation. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held and fractional votes for fractional shares held.

A fund generally is not required to hold meetings of its shareholders. Under the Declaration of Trust, shareholders only have the power to vote in connection with the following matters and only to the extent and as provided in the Declaration of Trust and as required by applicable law: (a) the election, re-election or removal of one or more Trustees if a meeting of shareholders is called by or at the direction of the Board for such purpose(s), provided that the Board shall promptly call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of one or more Trustees as a result of a request in writing by the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust; (b) the termination of the Trust or a fund if, in either case, the Board submits the matter to a vote of shareholders; (c) any amendment of the Declaration of Trust that (i) would affect the rights of shareholders to vote under the Declaration of Trust, (ii) requires shareholder approval under applicable law or (iii) the Board submits to a vote of shareholders; and (d) such additional matters as may be required by law or

as the Board may determine to be necessary or desirable. Shareholders also vote upon changes in fundamental policies or restrictions.

The Declaration of Trust provides that shareholder meeting quorum requirements shall be established in the By-laws. The By-laws of the Trust currently provide that the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of 30% of the shares entitled to vote at a meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at meetings of shareholders of the Trust (or of an individual series or class if required to vote separately).

On any matter submitted to a vote of shareholders, all shares of the Trust entitled to vote shall, except as otherwise provided in the By-laws, be voted in the aggregate as a single class without regard to series or classes of shares, except (a) when required by applicable law or when the Board has determined that the matter affects one or more series or classes of shares materially differently, shares shall be voted by individual series or class; and (b) when the Board has determined that the matter affects only the interests of one or more series or classes, only shareholders of such series or classes shall be entitled to vote thereon.

The Declaration of Trust provides that the Board may, in its discretion, establish minimum investment amounts for shareholder accounts, impose fees on accounts that do not exceed a minimum investment amount and involuntarily redeem shares in any such account in payment of such fees. The Board, in its sole discretion, also may cause the Trust to redeem all of the shares of the Trust or one or more series or classes held by any shareholder for any reason, to the extent permissible by the 1940 Act, including: (a) if the shareholder owns shares having an aggregate net asset value of less than a specified minimum amount; (b) if a particular shareholder’s ownership of shares would disqualify a series from being a regulated investment company; (c) upon a shareholder’s failure to provide sufficient identification to permit the Trust to verify the shareholder’s identity; (d) upon a shareholder’s failure to pay for shares or meet or maintain the qualifications for ownership of a particular class or series of shares; (e) if the Board determines (or pursuant to policies established by the Board it is determined) that share ownership by a particular shareholder is not in the best interests of remaining shareholders; (f) when a fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental authority or applicable law; and (g) upon a shareholder’s failure to comply with a request for information with respect to the direct or indirect ownership

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of shares or other securities of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust also authorizes the Board to terminate a fund or any class without shareholder approval, and the Trust may suspend the right of shareholders to require the Trust to redeem shares to the extent permissible under the 1940 Act.

The Declaration of Trust provides that, except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Board may authorize the Trust or any series or class thereof to merge, reorganize or consolidate with any corporation, association, trust or series thereof (including another series or class of the Trust) or other entity (in each case, the “Surviving Entity”) or the Board may sell, lease or exchange all or substantially all of the Trust property (or all or substantially all of the Trust property allocated or belonging to a particular series or class), including its good will, to any Surviving Entity, upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration as authorized by the Board. Such transactions may be effected through share-for-share exchanges, transfers or sales of assets, in-kind redemptions and purchases, exchange offers or any other method approved by the Board. The Board shall provide notice to affected shareholders of each such transaction. The authority of the Board with respect to the merger, reorganization or consolidation of any class of the Trust is in addition to the authority of the Board to combine two or more classes of a series into a single class. (For DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, the fund's by-laws contain special provisions related to a reorganization of the fund.)

Upon the termination of the Trust or any series, after paying or adequately providing for the payment of all liabilities, which may include the establishment of a liquidating trust or similar vehicle, and upon receipt of such releases, indemnities and refunding agreements as they deem necessary for their protection, the Board may distribute the remaining Trust property or property of the series to the shareholders of the Trust or the series involved, ratably according to the number of shares of the Trust or such series held by the several shareholders of the Trust or such series on the date of termination, except to the extent otherwise required or permitted by the preferences and special or relative rights and privileges of any classes of shares of a series involved, provided that any distribution to the shareholders of a particular class of shares shall be made to such shareholders pro rata in proportion to the number of shares of such class held by each of them. The composition of any such distribution (e.g., cash, securities or other assets) shall be determined by the Trust in its sole discretion and may be different among shareholders (including differences among shareholders in the same series or class).

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for obligations of a fund. The Declaration of Trust, however, disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the fund and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by a fund or a fund's trustees. Moreover, the Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of fund property for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund, and the fund may be covered by insurance which the Board considers adequate to cover foreseeable tort claims. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a disclaimer is inoperative and a fund itself is unable to meet its obligations.

For Deutsche DWS Asset Allocation Trust, Deutsche DWS Portfolio Trust and Deutsche DWS Tax Free Trust

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provided that the Board shall promptly call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of one or more Trustees as a result of a request in writing by the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust; (b) the termination of the Trust or a fund if, in either case, the Board submits the matter to a vote of shareholders; (c) any amendment of the Declaration of Trust that (i) would change any right with respect to any shares of the Trust or fund by reducing the amount payable thereon upon liquidation of the Trust or fund or by diminishing or eliminating any voting rights pertaining thereto, in which case the vote or consent of the holders of two-thirds of the shares of the Trust or fund outstanding and entitled to vote would be required (ii) requires shareholder approval under applicable law or (iii) the Board submits to a vote of shareholders; and (d) such additional matters as may be required by law or as the Board may determine to be necessary or desirable. Shareholders also vote upon changes in fundamental policies or restrictions.

In addition, under the Declaration of Trust, shareholders of the Trust also have the power to vote in connection with the following matters to the extent and as provided in the Declaration of Trust and as required by applicable law: (a) to the same extent as the stockholders of a Massachusetts business corporation as to whether or not a court action, proceeding or claims should or should not be brought or maintained derivatively or as a class action on behalf of the Trust or the shareholders; (b) with respect to any merger, consolidation or sale of assets; (c) with respect to any investment advisory or management contract entered into with respect to one or more funds; (d) with respect to the incorporation of the Trust or a fund; (e) with respect to any plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (or any successor rule) under the 1940 Act; and (f) with respect to such additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by the Declaration of Trust, the By-laws or any registration of the Trust with the SEC as an investment company under the 1940 Act.

classes of shares, except (a) when required by applicable law or when the Board has determined that the matter affects one or more series or classes of shares materially differently, shares shall be voted by individual series or class; and (b) when the Board has determined that the matter affects only the interests of one or more series or classes, only shareholders of such series or classes shall be entitled to vote thereon.

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extent otherwise required or permitted by the preferences and special or relative rights and privileges of any classes of shares of a series involved, provided that any distribution to the shareholders of a particular class of shares shall be made to such shareholders pro rata in proportion to the number of shares of such class held by each of them. The composition of any such distribution (e.g., cash, securities or other assets) shall be determined by the Trust in its sole discretion and may be different among shareholders (including differences among shareholders in the same series or class).

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for obligations of a fund. The Declaration of Trust, however, disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the fund and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by a fund or a fund's trustees. Moreover, the Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of fund property for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund and the fund may be covered by insurance which the Board considers adequate to cover foreseeable tort claims. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a disclaimer is inoperative and a fund itself is unable to meet its obligations.

For Cash Account Trust

The Board Members have the authority to create additional funds and to designate the relative rights and preferences as between the different funds. The Board Members also may authorize the division of shares of a fund into different classes, which may bear different expenses. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and non-assessable, transferable, have no pre-emptive or conversion rights and are redeemable as described in the funds’ prospectuses and SAIs. Each share has equal rights with each other share of the same class of the fund as to voting, dividends, exchanges, conversion features and liquidation. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held and fractional votes for fractional shares held. The Board Members may also terminate any fund or class by notice to the shareholders without shareholder approval.

The Trust generally is not required to hold meetings of its shareholders. Under the Declaration of Trust, however, shareholder meetings will be held in connection with the following matters: (a) the election or removal of Board Members if a meeting is called for such purpose; (b) the

adoption of any contract for which shareholder approval is required by the 1940 Act; (c) any termination or reorganization of the Trust to the extent and as provided in the Declaration of Trust; (d) any amendment of the Declaration of Trust (other than amendments changing the name of the Trust or any fund, establishing a fund, supplying any omission, curing any ambiguity or curing, correcting or supplementing any defective or inconsistent provision thereof); and (e) such additional matters as may be required by law, the Declaration of Trust, the By-laws of the Trust, or any registration of the Trust with the SEC or any state, or as the Board Members may consider necessary or desirable. The shareholders also would vote upon changes in fundamental investment objectives, policies or restrictions.

Subject to the Declaration of Trust, shareholders may remove Board Members. Each Board Member serves until the next meeting of shareholders, if any, called for the purpose of electing Board Members and until the election and qualification of a successor or until such Board Member sooner dies, resigns, retires or is removed by a majority vote of the shares entitled to vote (as described below) or a majority of the Board Members. In accordance with the 1940 Act (a) the Trust will hold a shareholder meeting for the election of Board Members at such time as less than a majority of the Board Members have been elected by shareholders, and (b) if, as a result of a vacancy in the Board, less than two-thirds of the Board Members have been elected by the shareholders, that vacancy will be filled only by a vote of the shareholders.

The Declaration of Trust provides that obligations of the Trust are not binding upon the Board Members individually but only upon the property of the Trust, that the Board Members and officers will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law, and that a Trust will indemnify its Board Members and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with a Trust except if it is determined in the manner provided in the Declaration of Trust that they have not acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that their actions were in the best interests of the Trust. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects or indemnifies a Board Member or officer against any liability to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of their office.

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Board Members may be removed from office by a vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares at a meeting called for that purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares. Upon the written request of ten or more shareholders who have been such for at least six months and who hold shares constituting at least 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust stating that such shareholders wish to communicate with the other shareholders for the purpose of obtaining the signatures necessary to demand a meeting to consider removal of a trustee, the Trust has undertaken to disseminate appropriate materials at the expense of the requesting shareholders.

The Declaration of Trust provides that the presence at a shareholder meeting in person or by proxy of at least 30% of the shares entitled to vote on a matter shall constitute a quorum. Thus, a meeting of shareholders of a fund could take place even if less than a majority of the shareholders were represented on its scheduled date. Shareholders would in such a case be permitted to take action which does not require a larger vote than a majority of a quorum, such as the election of Board Members and ratification of the selection of auditors. Some matters requiring a larger vote under the Declaration of Trust, such as termination or reorganization of a fund and certain amendments of the Declaration of Trust, would not be affected by this provision; nor would matters which under the 1940 Act require the vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act.

The Declaration of Trust specifically authorizes the Board to terminate the Trust (or any fund or class) by notice to the shareholders without shareholder approval.

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for obligations of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust, however, disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the Board Members. Moreover, the Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of Trust property for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust and the Trust may be covered by insurance. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is considered by the Advisor remote and not material, since it is limited to circumstances in which a disclaimer is inoperative and the Trust itself is unable to meet its obligations.

For each Corporation

All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and non-assessable, transferable, have no pre-emptive rights (except as may be determined by the Board of Directors) or conversion rights (except as described below) and are redeemable as described in the SAI and in each fund’s prospectus. Each share has equal rights with each other share of the same class of a fund as to voting, dividends, exchanges and liquidation. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held and fractional votes for fractional shares held.

The Board of Directors may determine that shares of a fund or a class of a fund shall be automatically converted into shares of another fund of the Corporation or of another class of the same or another fund based on the relative net assets of such fund or class at the time of conversion. The Board of Directors may also provide that the holders of shares of a fund or a class of a fund shall have the right to convert or exchange their shares into shares of one or more other funds or classes on terms established by the Board of Directors.

Each share of the Corporation may be subject to such sales loads or charges, expenses and fees, account size requirements, and other rights and provisions, which may be the same or different from any other share of the Corporation or any other share of any fund or class of a fund (including shares of the same fund or class as the share), as the Board of Directors may establish or change from time to time and to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

The Corporation is not required to hold an annual meeting of shareholders in any year in which the election of Directors is not required by the 1940 Act. If a meeting of shareholders of the Corporation is required by the 1940 Act to take action on the election of Directors, then an annual meeting shall be held to elect Directors and take such other action as may come before the meeting. Special meetings of the shareholders of the Corporation, or of the shareholders of one or more funds or classes thereof, for any purpose or purposes, may be called at any time by the Board of Directors or by the President, and shall be called by the President or Secretary at the request in writing of shareholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting.

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Except as provided in the 1940 Act, the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of one-third of the shares entitled to vote at a meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at meetings of shareholders of the Corporation or of a fund or class.

On any matter submitted to a vote of shareholders, all shares of the Corporation entitled to vote shall be voted in the aggregate as a single class without regard to series or classes of shares, provided, however, that (a) when applicable law requires that one or more series or classes vote separately, such series or classes shall vote separately and, subject to (b) below, all other series or classes shall vote in the aggregate; and (b) when the Board of Directors determines that a matter does not affect the interests of a particular series or class, such series or class shall not be entitled to any vote and only the shares of the affected series or classes shall be entitled to vote.

Notwithstanding any provision of Maryland corporate law requiring authorization of any action by a greater proportion than a majority of the total number of shares entitled to vote on a matter, such action shall be effective if authorized by the majority vote of the outstanding shares entitled to vote.

Subject to the requirements of applicable law and any procedures adopted by the Board of Directors from time to time, the holders of shares of the Corporation or any one or more series or classes thereof may take action or consent to any action by delivering a consent, in writing or by electronic transmission, of the holders entitled to cast not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take the action at a formal meeting.

The Articles of Incorporation provide that the Board of Directors may, in its discretion, establish minimum investment amounts for shareholder accounts, impose fees on accounts that do not exceed a minimum investment amount and involuntarily redeem shares in any such account in payment of such fees. The Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, also may cause the Corporation to redeem all of the shares of the Corporation or one or more series or classes held by any shareholder for any reason, to the extent permissible by the 1940 Act, including: (a) if the shareholder owns shares having an aggregate net asset value of less than a specified minimum amount; (b) if the shareholder’s ownership of shares would disqualify a series from being a regulated investment company; (c) upon a shareholder’s failure to provide sufficient identification to permit the Corporation to verify the shareholder’s identity; (d) upon a shareholder’s failure to pay for shares or meet or maintain the

qualifications for ownership of a particular series or class; (e) if the Board of Directors determines (or pursuant to policies established by the Board of Directors it is determined) that share ownership by a shareholder is not in the best interests of the remaining shareholders; (f) when the Corporation is requested or compelled to do so by governmental authority or applicable law; or (g) upon a shareholder’s failure to comply with a request for information with respect to the direct or indirect ownership of shares of the Corporation. By redeeming shares the Corporation may terminate a fund or any class without shareholder approval, and the Corporation may suspend the right of shareholders to require the Corporation to redeem shares to the extent permissible under the 1940 Act.

Except as otherwise permitted by the Articles of Incorporation, upon liquidation or termination of a fund or class, shareholders of such fund or class of such fund shall be entitled to receive, pro rata in proportion to the number of shares of such fund or class held by each of them, a share of the net assets of such fund or class, and the holders of shares of any other particular fund or class shall not be entitled to any such distribution, provided, however, that the composition of any such payment (e.g., cash, securities and/or other assets) to any shareholder shall be determined by the Corporation in its sole discretion, and may be different among shareholders (including differences among shareholders in the same fund or class).

For Master/Feeder Arrangements

Deutsche DWS Equity 500 Index Portfolio and Government Cash Management Portfolio (the “Portfolios” and each a “Portfolio”) are organized as master trust funds under the laws of the State of New York. Each Portfolio serves as a master fund in a master/feeder arrangement. References to a fund in this section refer only to a fund that is a feeder fund in a master/feeder arrangement. Each Portfolio's Declaration of Trust provides that a fund and other entities investing in the Portfolio (e.g., other investment companies, insurance company separate accounts and common and commingled trust funds) will each be liable for all obligations of a Portfolio. However, the risk of a fund incurring financial loss on account of such liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and a Portfolio itself was unable to meet its obligations. Accordingly, the Board believes that neither a fund nor its shareholders will be adversely affected by reason of a fund's investing in a Portfolio. Whenever a fund is requested to vote on a matter pertaining to a Portfolio, a fund will vote its shares without

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a meeting of shareholders of a fund if the proposal is one, in which made with respect to a fund, would not require the vote of shareholders of a fund as long as such action is permissible under applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. In addition, whenever a fund is requested to vote on matters pertaining to the fundamental policies of a Portfolio, a fund will hold a meeting of the fund's shareholders and will cast its vote as instructed by the fund's shareholders. The percentage of a fund's votes representing fund shareholders not voting will be voted by a fund in the same proportion as fund shareholders who do, in fact, vote. For all other matters requiring a vote, a fund will hold a meeting of shareholders of a fund and, at the meeting of investors in a Portfolio, a fund will cast all of its votes in the same proportion as the votes of a fund's shareholders even if all fund shareholders did not vote. Even if a fund votes all its shares at the Portfolio meeting, other investors with a greater pro rata ownership of a Portfolio could have effective voting control of the operations of a Portfolio.

Purchase and Redemption of Shares

General Information. Policies and procedures affecting transactions in a fund’s shares can be changed at any time without notice, subject to applicable law. Transactions may be contingent upon proper completion of application forms and other documents by shareholders and their receipt by a fund’s agents. Transaction delays in processing (and changing account features) due to circumstances within or beyond the control of a fund and its agents may occur. Shareholders (or their financial services firms) are responsible for all losses and fees resulting from bad checks, cancelled orders or the failure to consummate transactions effected pursuant to instructions reasonably believed to be genuine.

A fund may suspend (in whole or in part) or terminate the offering of its shares at any time for any reason and may limit the amount of purchases by, and refuse to sell to, any person. During the period of such suspension, a fund may permit certain persons (for example, persons who are already shareholders of the fund) to continue to purchase additional shares of a fund and to have dividends reinvested.

Orders will be confirmed at a share price next calculated after receipt in good order by DDI. Except as described below, orders received by certain dealers or other financial services firms prior to the close of a fund's business day will be confirmed at a price based on the net asset value determined on that day (trade date).

Use of Financial Services Firms. Dealers and other financial services firms provide varying arrangements for their clients to purchase and redeem a fund’s shares, including different minimum investments, and may assess transaction or other fees. In addition, certain privileges with respect to the purchase and redemption of shares or the reinvestment of dividends may not be available through such firms. Firms may arrange with their clients for other investment or administrative services. Such firms may independently establish and charge additional amounts to their clients for such services. Firms also may hold a fund’s shares in nominee or street name as agent for and on behalf of their customers. In such instances, the Shareholder Service Agent will have no information with respect to or control over the accounts of specific shareholders. Such shareholders may obtain access to their accounts and information about their accounts only from their firm. Certain of these firms may receive compensation from a fund through the Shareholder Service Agent for record-keeping and other expenses relating to these nominee accounts. Some firms may participate in a program allowing them access to their clients’ accounts for servicing including, without limitation, transfers of registration and dividend payee changes; and may perform functions such as generation of confirmation statements and disbursement of cash dividends. Such firms, including affiliates of DDI, may receive compensation from a fund through the Shareholder Service Agent for these services.

A fund has authorized one or more financial service institutions, including certain members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) other than DDI (i.e., financial institutions), to accept purchase and redemption orders for a fund’s shares. Such financial institutions may also designate other parties, including plan administrator intermediaries, to accept purchase and redemption orders on a fund’s behalf. Orders for purchases or redemptions will be deemed to have been received by a fund when such financial institutions or, if applicable, their authorized designees accept the orders. Subject to the terms of the contract between a fund and the financial institution, ordinarily orders will be priced at a fund’s net asset value next computed after acceptance by such financial institution or its authorized designees. Further, if purchases or redemptions of a fund’s shares are arranged and settlement is made at an investor’s election through any other authorized financial institution, that financial institution may, at its discretion, charge a fee for that service.

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Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans. The funds are available for purchase by establishing a retirement plan with DWS Trust Company as custodian. DWS Trust Company is a banking entity organized in New Hampshire and is an affiliate of DIMA. Plans available include, Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts.

Materials describing these plans and materials for establishing them are available from the Shareholder Service Agent upon request. DDI may pay commissions to dealers and other financial services firms in connection with shares sold to retirement plans. For further information about such compensation, see Compensation Schedule as set forth in Part II—Appendix II-D. Additional fees and transaction policies and procedures may apply to such plans. Certain funds investing in municipal securities may not be appropriate for such Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans. Investors should consult their own tax advisors before establishing a retirement plan.

Purchases

A fund may offer only certain of the classes of shares referred to in the subsections below. Thus, the information provided below in regard to the purchase of certain classes of shares is only applicable to funds offering such classes of shares. For information regarding purchases of shares of Deutsche DWS Variable Series I, Deutsche DWS Variable Series II and Deutsche DWS Investments VIT Funds, please see Variable Insurance Funds below. For information regarding purchases of money market funds, please see Money Market Funds below.

Purchase of Class A Shares. The public offering price of Class A shares is the net asset value plus a sales charge based on investment amount, if applicable, as set forth in the relevant prospectus and the “Class A Sales Charge Schedule” set forth in Part II – Appendix II-F. Class A shares are subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee, as described in the relevant prospectus (see also the discussion of Rule 12b-1 Plans under Distribution and Service Agreements and Plans below).

Class A Shares Reduced Sales Charges

Quantity Discounts. An investor or the investor’s dealer or other financial services firm must notify the Shareholder Service Agent or DDI whenever a quantity discount or reduced sales charge is applicable to a purchase. In order to qualify for a lower sales charge, all orders from an organized group will have to be placed through a single dealer or other firm and identified as originating from a qualifying purchaser.

Combined Purchases. A fund’s Class A shares may be purchased at the rate applicable to the sales charge discount bracket attained by combining same day investments in all share classes of two or more retail DWS funds (excluding direct purchases of DWS money market funds).

Cumulative Discount. Class A shares of a fund may also be purchased at the rate applicable to the discount bracket attained by adding to the cost of shares being purchased, the value of all share classes of retail DWS funds (excluding shares in DWS money market funds for which a sales charge has not previously been paid and computed at the maximum offering price at the time of the purchase for which the discount is applicable for Class A shares) already owned by the investor or his or her immediate family member (including the investor’s spouse or life partner and children or stepchildren age 21 or younger).

Letter of Intent. The reduced sales charges for Class A shares, as shown in the relevant prospectus and the “Class A Sales Charge Schedule” set forth in Part II – Appendix II-F, also apply to the aggregate amount of purchases of all shares of retail DWS funds (excluding direct purchases of DWS money market funds) made by any purchaser within a 24-month period under a written Letter of Intent (Letter) provided to DDI. The Letter, which imposes no obligation to purchase or sell additional Class A shares, provides for a price adjustment depending upon the actual amount purchased within such period. The Letter provides that the first purchase following execution of the Letter must be at least 5% of the amount of the intended purchase, and that 5% of the amount of the intended purchase normally will be held in escrow in the form of shares pending completion of the intended purchase. If the total investments under the Letter are less than the intended amount and thereby qualify only for a higher sales charge than actually paid, the appropriate number of escrowed shares are redeemed and the proceeds used toward satisfaction of the obligation to pay the increased sales charge. A shareholder may include the value (at the maximum offering price, which is determined by adding the maximum applicable sales load charged to the net asset value) of all shares of such DWS funds held of record as of the initial purchase date under the Letter as an “accumulation credit” toward the completion of the Letter, but no price adjustment will be made on such shares.

A description of other waivers are included in the relevant prospectus.

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Purchase of Class C Shares. Class C shares of a fund are offered at net asset value. No initial sales charge is imposed, which allows the full amount of the investor’s purchase payment to be invested in Class C shares for his or her account. Class C shares are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% (for shares sold within one year of purchase) and Rule 12b-1 fees, as described in the relevant prospectus (see also the discussion of Rule 12b-1 Plans under Distribution and Service Agreements and Plans below).

Class C shares automatically convert to Class A shares of the same fund at the relative net asset values of the two classes no later than the end of the month in which the eighth anniversary of the date of purchase occurs (or such earlier date as the Trustees or Directors of a fund may authorize), provided that the relevant fund or the financial intermediary through which the shareholder purchased such Class C shares has records verifying the completion of the eight-year aging period. Class C shares issued upon reinvestment of income and capital gain dividends and other distributions will be converted to Class A shares on a pro rata basis with the Class C shares. For purposes of calculating the time period remaining on the conversion of Class C shares to Class A shares, Class C shares received on exchange retain their original purchase date. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such conversion.

Purchase of Class R Shares. Class R shares of a fund are offered at net asset value. No initial sales charge is imposed, which allows the full amount of the investor’s purchase payment to be invested in Class R shares for his or her account. Class R shares are subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee, as described in the relevant prospectus (see also the discussion of Rule 12b-1 Plans under Distribution and Service Agreements and Plans below).

The Shareholder Service Agent monitors transactions in Class R shares to help to ensure that investors purchasing Class R shares meet the eligibility requirements described in the prospectus. If the Shareholder Service Agent is unable to verify that an investor meets the eligibility requirements for Class R, either following receipt of a completed application form within time frames established by a fund or as part of its ongoing monitoring, the Shareholder Service Agent may take corrective action up to and including canceling the purchase order or redeeming the account.

Purchase of Class R6 Shares. Class R6 shares of a fund are offered at net asset value. Class R6 shares are generally available only to certain retirement plans, IRA platform programs approved by DWS Distributors, Inc.

that trade on an omnibus basis and certain plans administered as college savings plans under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. If your plan or program sponsor has selected Class R6 shares as an investment option, you may purchase Class R6 shares through your securities dealer or any institution authorized to act as a shareholder servicing agent for your plan or program. There is no minimum investment for Class R6 shares. Contact your securities dealer or shareholder servicing agent for details on how to buy and sell Class R6 shares.

Purchase of Institutional Class Shares. Institutional Class shares of a fund are offered at net asset value without a sales charge to certain eligible investors as described in the section entitled “Buying, Exchanging and Selling Class A, Class C, Institutional Class and Class S Shares” in a fund’s prospectus.

Investors may invest in Institutional Class shares by setting up an account directly with the Transfer Agent or through an authorized service agent. Investors who establish shareholder accounts directly with the Shareholder Service Agent should submit purchase and redemption orders as described in the relevant prospectus.

Purchase of Class S. Class S shares of a fund are offered at net asset value. Class S shares are available through (i) fee-based programs of investment dealers that have special agreements with a fund’s distributor, (ii) certain group retirement plans and (iii) certain registered investment advisors, or (iv) by establishing an account directly with a fund’s Transfer Agent. Investors who purchase shares through a financial intermediary may be charged ongoing fees for services they provide. Class S shares may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with DDI to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for its customers for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Class S shares through one of these programs, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to your broker. Shares of a fund are available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.

Multi-Class Suitability for Classes A and C. DDI has established the following procedures regarding the purchase of Class A and Class C shares, as applicable. Orders to purchase Class C shares of $500,000 or more (certain funds have a $250,000 maximum for Class C purchases, see the applicable fund's prospectus) will be declined with the exception of orders received from (i)

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financial representatives acting for clients whose shares are held in an omnibus account; and (ii) DWS/Ascensus 403(b) Plans.

The following provisions apply to DWS/ Ascensus 403(b) Plans.

(1)

Class C Share DWS/ Ascensus 403(b) Plans. Orders to purchase Class C shares for a DWS/ Ascensus 403(b) Plan, regardless of when such plan was established on the system, will be invested instead in Class A shares at net asset value when the combined subaccount value in DWS funds or other eligible assets held by the plan is $1,000,000 or more. This provision will be imposed for the first purchase after eligible plan assets reach the $1,000,000 threshold. A later decline in assets below the $1,000,000 threshold will not affect the plan’s ability to continue to purchase Class A shares at net asset value.

The procedures described above do not reflect in any way the suitability of a particular class of shares for a particular investor and should not be relied upon as such. A suitability determination must be made by investors with the assistance of their financial representative.

Purchase Privileges for DWS Affiliated Individuals. Current or former Board members of the DWS funds, employees, their spouses or life partners and children or step-children age 21 or younger, of Deutsche Bank AG or its affiliates or a subadvisor to any DWS fund or a broker-dealer authorized to sell shares of a fund are generally eligible to purchase shares in the class of a fund with the lowest expense ratio, usually the Institutional Class shares. If a fund does not offer Institutional Class shares, these individuals are eligible to buy Class A shares at NAV. Each fund also reserves the right to waive the minimum account balance requirement for employee and director accounts. Fees generally charged to IRA accounts will be charged to accounts of employees and directors.

Money Market Funds. Shares of a fund are sold at net asset value directly from a fund or through selected financial services firms, such as broker-dealers and banks. Each fund seeks to have its investment portfolio as fully invested as possible at all times in order to achieve maximum income. Since each fund will be investing in instruments that normally require immediate payment in Federal Funds (monies credited to a bank’s account with its regional Federal Reserve Bank), as described in

the applicable prospectus, each fund has adopted procedures for the convenience of its shareholders and to ensure that each fund receives investable funds.

Variable Insurance Funds. Shares of Deutsche DWS Variable Series I, Deutsche DWS Variable Series II and Deutsche DWS Investments VIT Funds are continuously offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies at the net asset value per share next determined after a proper purchase request has been received by the insurance company. The insurance companies offer to variable annuity and variable life insurance contract owners units in its separate accounts which directly correspond to shares in a fund. Each insurance company submits purchase and redemption orders to a fund based on allocation instructions for premium payments, transfer instructions and surrender or partial withdrawal requests which are furnished to the insurance company by such contract owners. Contract owners can send such instructions and requests to the insurance companies in accordance with procedures set forth in the prospectus for the applicable variable insurance product offered by the insurance company.

Purchases In-Kind. A fund may, at its own option, accept securities in payment for shares. The securities delivered in payment for shares are valued by the method described under “Net Asset Value” as of the day a fund receives the securities. This is a taxable transaction to the shareholder. Securities may be accepted in payment for shares only if they are, in the judgment of the Advisor, appropriate investments for a fund. In addition, securities accepted in payment for shares must: (i) meet the investment objective and policies of the acquiring fund; (ii) be acquired by the applicable fund for investment and not for resale; (iii) be liquid securities which are not restricted as to transfer either by law or liquidity of market; and (iv) if stock, have a value which is readily ascertainable as evidenced by a listing on a stock exchange, over-the-counter market or by readily available market quotations from a dealer in such securities. The shareholder will be charged the costs associated with receiving or delivering the securities. These costs include security movement costs and taxes and registration costs. A fund reserves the right to accept or reject at its own option any and all securities offered in payment for its shares.

Redemptions

A fund may offer only certain of the classes of shares referred to in the subsections below. Thus, the information provided below in regard to the redemption of certain classes of shares is only applicable to funds offering such classes of shares. Please consult the prospectus

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for the availability of these redemption features for a specific fund. In addition, the information provided below does not apply to contract holders in variable insurance products. Contract owners should consult their contract prospectuses for applicable redemption procedures.

A request for repurchase (confirmed redemption) may be communicated by a shareholder through a financial services firm to DDI, which firms must promptly submit orders to be effective.

Redemption requests must be unconditional. Redemption requests (and a stock power for certificated shares) must be duly endorsed by the account holder. As specified in the relevant prospectus, signatures may need to be guaranteed by a commercial bank, trust company, savings and loan association, federal savings bank, member firm of a national securities exchange or other financial institution permitted by SEC rule. DWS accepts Medallion Signature Guarantees. Additional documentation may be required, particularly from institutional and fiduciary account holders, such as corporations, custodians (e.g., under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act), executors, administrators, trustees or guardians.

Wires. The ability to send wires is limited by the business hours and holidays of the firms involved. A fund is not responsible for the efficiency of the federal wire system or the account holder’s financial services firm or bank. The account holder is responsible for any charges imposed by the account holder’s firm or bank. To change the designated account to receive wire redemption proceeds, send a written request to the Shareholder Service Agent with signatures guaranteed as described above or contact the firm through which fund shares were purchased.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan. An owner of $5,000 or more of a class of a fund’s shares at the offering price (net asset value plus, in the case of Class A shares, the initial sales charge, as applicable) may provide for the payment from the owner’s account of any requested dollar amount to be paid to the owner or a designated payee monthly, quarterly, semiannually or annually pursuant to a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (the “Plan”). The $5,000 minimum account size is not applicable to IRAs. The minimum periodic payment is $50. The maximum annual rate at which shares subject to CDSC may be redeemed without the imposition of the CDSC is 12% of the net asset value of the account.

Non-retirement plan shareholders may establish a Plan to receive monthly, quarterly or periodic redemptions from his or her account for any designated amount of $50 or more. Shareholders may designate which day they want

the systematic withdrawal to be processed. If a day is not designated, the withdrawal will be processed on the 25th day of the month to that the payee should receive payment approximately on the first of the month. The check amounts may be based on the redemption of a fixed dollar amount, fixed share amount, percent of account value or declining balance. The Plan provides for income dividends and capital gains distributions, if any, to be reinvested in additional shares. Shares are then liquidated as necessary to provide for withdrawal payments. Since the withdrawals are in amounts selected by the investor and have no relationship to yield or income, payments received cannot be considered as yield or income on the investment and the resulting liquidations may deplete or possibly extinguish the initial investment and any reinvested dividends and capital gains distributions. Any such requests must be received by the Shareholder Service Agent ten days prior to the date of the first systematic withdrawal. A Plan may be terminated at any time by the shareholder, the Trust or its agent on written notice, and will be terminated when all fund shares under the Plan have been liquidated or upon receipt by the Trust of notice of death of the shareholder.

The purchase of Class A shares while participating in a Plan will ordinarily be disadvantageous to the investor because the investor will be paying a sales charge, if applicable, on the purchase of shares at the same time that the investor is redeeming shares upon which a sales charge may have already been paid. Therefore, an investor should consider carefully whether to make additional investments in Class A shares if the investor is at the same time making systematic withdrawals.

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC). The following example will illustrate the operation of the CDSC for Class A (when applicable) and Class C shares, to the extent applicable. Assume that an investor makes a single purchase of $10,000 of a fund’s Class C shares and then 11 months later the value of the shares has grown by $1,000 through reinvested dividends and by an additional $1,000 of share appreciation to a total of $12,000. If the investor were then to redeem the entire $12,000 in share value, the CDSC would be payable only with respect to $10,000 because neither the $1,000 of reinvested dividends nor the $1,000 of share appreciation is subject to the charge. The charge would be at the rate of 1.00% ($100).

The rate of the CDSC is determined by the length of the period of ownership. Investments are tracked on a monthly basis. The period of ownership for this purpose begins the first day of the month in which the order for the

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investment is received. In the event no specific order is requested when redeeming shares subject to a CDSC, the redemption will be made first from shares representing reinvested dividends and then from the earliest purchase of shares. DDI receives any CDSC directly. The CDSC will not be imposed upon redemption of reinvested dividends or share appreciation.

Redemptions In-Kind. A fund reserves the right to honor any request for redemption or repurchase by making payment in whole or in part in securities, which are subject to market risk until sold, may incur taxes and may incur brokerage costs, rather than cash. These securities will be chosen pursuant to procedures adopted by the fund’s Board and valued as they are for purposes of computing a fund’s net asset value. A shareholder may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash. Please see the prospectus for any requirements that may be applicable to certain funds to provide cash up to certain amounts. For the following funds, this right may only be exercised upon the consent of the shareholder: DWS Government & Agency Securities Portfolio, a series of Cash Account Trust; DWS Government Money Market Series, a series of Deutsche DWS Money Market Trust; and DWS Treasury Portfolio and DWS ESG Liquidity Fund, each a series of Investors Cash Trust.

Checkwriting (applicable to DWS Short Duration Fund, DWS Intermediate Tax-Free Fund and DWS Massachusetts Tax-Free Fund only). The Checkwriting Privilege is not offered to new investors. The Checkwriting Privilege is available for shareholders of DWS Intermediate Tax-Free Fund and DWS Short Term Bond Fund (which was acquired by DWS Short Duration Fund) who previously elected this privilege prior to August 19, 2002, and to shareholders of DWS Massachusetts Tax-Free Fund who were shareholders of the Scudder Massachusetts Limited Term Tax Free Fund prior to July 31, 2000. Checks may be used to pay any person, provided that each check is for at least $100 and not more than $5 million. By using the checks, the shareholder will receive daily dividend credit on his or her shares until the check has cleared the banking system. Investors who purchased shares by check may write checks against those shares only after they have been on a fund’s book for 10 calendar days. Shareholders who use this service may also use other redemption procedures. No shareholder may write checks against certificated shares. A fund pays the bank charges for this service. However, each fund will review the cost of operation periodically and reserve the right to determine if direct charges to the persons who avail themselves of this service would be appropriate. Each fund, State Street

Bank and Trust Company and the Transfer Agent reserve the right at any time to suspend or terminate the Checkwriting procedure.

Money Market Funds Only

The following sections relate to certain Money Market Funds. Please consult the prospectus for the availability of these redemption features for a specific fund.

Redemption by Check/ACH Debit Disclosure. A fund will accept Automated Clearing House (ACH) debit entries for accounts that have elected the checkwriting redemption privilege (see Redemptions by Draft below). Please consult the prospectus for the availability of the checkwriting privilege for a specific fund. An example of an ACH debit is a transaction in which you have given your insurance company, mortgage company, credit card company, utility company, health club, etc., the right to withdraw your monthly payment from your fund account or the right to convert your mailed check into an ACH debit. Sometimes, you may give a merchant from whom you wish to purchase goods the right to convert your check to an ACH debit. You may also authorize a third party to initiate an individual payment in a specific amount from your account by providing your account information and authorization to such third party via the Internet or telephone. You authorize a fund upon receipt of an ACH debit entry referencing your account number, to redeem fund shares in your account to pay the entry to the third party originating the debit. A fund will make the payment on the basis of the account number that you provide to your merchant and will not compare this account number with the name on the account. A fund, the Shareholder Service Agent or any other person or system handling the transaction are not required to determine if there is a discrepancy between the name and the account number shown on the transfer instructions.

The payment of any ACH debit entry will be subject to sufficient funds being available in the designated account; a fund will not be able to honor an ACH debit entry if sufficient funds are not available. ACH debit entry transactions to your fund account should not be initiated or authorized by you in amounts exceeding the amount of Shares of a fund then in the account and available for redemption. A fund may refuse to honor ACH debit entry transactions whenever the right of redemption has been suspended or postponed, or whenever the account is otherwise impaired. Your fund account statement will show any ACH debit entries in your account; you will not receive any other separate notice. (Merchants are permitted to convert your checks into ACH debits only with your prior consent.)

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You may authorize payment of a specific amount to be made from your account directly by a fund to third parties on a continuing periodic basis. To arrange for this service, you should contact the person or company you will be paying. Any preauthorized transfers will be subject to sufficient funds being available in the designated account. A preauthorized transfer will continue to be made from the account in the same amount and frequency as initially established until you terminate the preauthorized transfer instructions with the person or company whom you have been paying. If regular preauthorized payments may vary in amount, the person or company you are going to pay should tell you ten (10) days before each payment will be made and how much the payment will be. If you have told a fund in advance to make regular payments out of your account, you may stop any of these payments by writing or calling the Shareholder Service Agent at the address and telephone number listed in the next paragraph in time for the Shareholder Service Agent to receive your request three (3) business days or more before the payment is scheduled to be made. If you call, a fund may also require that you put your request in writing so that a fund will receive it within fourteen (14) days after you call. If you order a fund to stop one of these payments three (3) business days or more before the transfer is scheduled and a fund does not do so, a fund will be liable for your loss or damages but not in an amount exceeding the amount of the payment. A stop payment order will stop only the designated periodic payment. If you wish to terminate the periodic preauthorized transfers, you should do so with the person or company to whom you have been making payments.

In case of errors or questions about your ACH debit entry transactions please telephone (see telephone number on front cover) or write (DWS Service Company, P.O. Box 219151, Kansas City, MO 64121-9151) the Shareholder Service Agent as soon as possible if you think your statement is wrong or shows an improper transfer or if you need more information about a transfer listed on the statement. Our business days are Monday through Friday except holidays. The Shareholder Service Agent must hear from you no later than sixty (60) days after a fund sent you the first fund account statement on which the problem or error appeared. If you do not notify the Shareholder Service Agent within sixty (60) days after a fund sends you the account statement, you may not get back any money you have lost, and you may not get back any additional money you lose after the sixty (60) days if a fund or the Shareholder Service Agent could have stopped someone from taking that money if you had notified the Shareholder Service Agent in time.

Tell us your name and account number, describe the error or the transfer you are unsure about, and explain why you believe it is an error or why you need more information. Tell us the dollar amount of the suspected error. If you tell the Shareholder Service Agent orally, the Shareholder Service Agent may require that you send your complaint or questions in writing within ten (10) business days. The Shareholder Service Agent will determine whether an error occurred within ten (10) business days after it hears from you and will correct any error promptly. If the Shareholder Service Agent needs more time, however, it may take up to forty-five (45) days (or up to ninety (90) days for certain types of transactions) to investigate your complaint or question. If the Shareholder Service Agent decides to do this, your account will be credited with escrowed fund shares within ten (10) business days for the amount you think is in error so that you will have the use of the money during the time it takes the Shareholder Service Agent to complete its investigation. If the Shareholder Service Agent asks you to put your complaint or questions in writing and the Shareholder Service Agent does not receive it within ten (10) business days, your account may not be credited. The Shareholder Service Agent will tell you the results within three (3) business days after completing its investigation. If the Shareholder Service Agent determines that there was no error, the Shareholder Service Agent will send you a written explanation. You may ask for copies of documents that were used by the Shareholder Service Agent in the investigation.

In the event a fund or the Shareholder Service Agent does not complete a transfer from your account on time or in the correct amount according to a fund’s agreement with you, a fund may be liable for your losses or damages. A fund will not be liable to you if: (i) there are not sufficient funds available in your account; (ii) circumstances beyond our control (such as fire or flood or malfunction of equipment) prevent the transfer; (iii) you or another shareholder have supplied a merchant with incorrect account information; or (iv) a merchant has incorrectly formulated an ACH debit entry. In any case, a fund’s liability shall not exceed the amount of the transfer in question.

A fund or the Shareholder Service Agent will disclose information to third parties about your account or the transfers you make: (1) where it is necessary for completing the transfers; (2) in order to verify the existence or condition of your account for a third party such as a credit bureau or a merchant; (3) in order to comply with government agencies or court orders; or (4) if you have given a fund written permission.

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The acceptance and processing of ACH debit entry transactions is established solely for your convenience and a fund reserves the right to suspend, terminate or modify your ability to redeem fund shares by ACH debit entry transactions at any time. ACH debit entry transactions are governed by the rules of the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) Operating Rules and any local ACH operating rules then in effect, as well as Regulation E of the Federal Reserve Board.

Redemptions by Draft. Upon request, shareholders of certain Money Market Funds will be provided with drafts to be drawn on a fund (Redemption Checks). Please consult the prospectus for the availability of the checkwriting redemption privilege for a specific Money Market Fund. These Redemption Checks may be made payable to the order of any person for not more than $5 million. When a Redemption Check is presented for payment, a sufficient number of full and fractional shares in the shareholder’s account will be redeemed as of the next determined net asset value to cover the amount of the Redemption Check. This will enable the shareholder to continue earning dividends until a fund receives the Redemption Check. A shareholder wishing to use this method of redemption must complete and file an Account Application which is available from a fund or firms through which shares were purchased. Redemption Checks should not be used to close an account since the account normally includes accrued but unpaid dividends. A fund reserves the right to terminate or modify this privilege at any time. This privilege may not be available through some firms that distribute shares of a fund. In addition, firms may impose minimum balance requirements in order to offer this feature. Firms may also impose fees to investors for this privilege or establish variations of minimum check amounts.

Unless more than one signature is required pursuant to the Account Application, only one signature will be required on Redemption Checks. Any change in the signature authorization must be made by written notice to the Shareholder Service Agent. Shares purchased by check or through certain ACH transactions may not be redeemed by Redemption Check until the shares have been on a fund’s books for at least ten (10) days. Shareholders may not use this procedure to redeem shares held in certificate form. A fund reserves the right to terminate or modify this privilege at any time.

A fund may refuse to honor Redemption Checks whenever the right of redemption has been suspended or postponed, or whenever the account is otherwise impaired. A $10 service fee will be charged when a Redemption Check is presented to redeem fund shares

in excess of the value of a fund account or in an amount less than the minimum Redemption Check amount specified in the prospectus; when a Redemption Check is presented that would require redemption of shares that were purchased by check or certain ACH transactions within ten (10) days; or when “stop payment” of a Redemption Check is requested.

Special Redemption Features. Certain firms that offer Shares of the Money Market Funds also provide special redemption features through charge or debit cards and checks that redeem fund shares. Various firms have different charges for their services. Shareholders should obtain information from their firm with respect to any special redemption features, applicable charges, minimum balance requirements and special rules of the cash management program being offered.

Exchanges

The exchange features may not be available to all funds. Please consult the prospectus for the availability of exchanges for a specific fund. A fund may offer only certain of the classes of shares referred to in the subsections below. Thus, the information provided below in regard to the exchange of certain classes of shares is only applicable to funds offering such classes of shares. In addition, the information provided below does not apply to contract holders in variable insurance products. Contract holders should consult their contract prospectuses for applicable exchange procedures.

General. Shareholders may request a taxable exchange of their shares for shares of the corresponding class of other DWS funds without imposition of a sales charge, subject to the provisions below. Shares of the fund acquired in an exchange that were subject to a CDSC at the time of the exchange will continue to be subject to the CDSC schedule of the shares of the fund you originally purchased. No CDSC charges apply to shares of DWS money market funds or a fund with Class A shares without a sales charge acquired directly.

Shareholders who exchange their shares out of a DWS money market fund or a fund with Class A shares without a sales charge into Class A shares of certain other DWS funds will generally be subject to the applicable sales charge (not including shares acquired by dividend reinvestment or shares that have previously paid a sales charge).

Certain DWS funds may not be available to shareholders on an exchange. To learn more about which DWS funds may be available on exchange, please contact your financial

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services firm or visit our Web site at: dws.com (the Web site does not form a part of this Statement of Additional Information) or call DWS (see telephone number on front cover).

Shareholders must obtain the prospectus of the DWS fund they are exchanging into from dealers, other firms or DDI.

Compensation of Financial Intermediaries

Incentive Plan for DWS Distributors, Inc. Personnel. DDI has adopted an Incentive Plan (Plan) covering wholesalers that market shares of the DWS funds to financial representatives (DWS Wholesalers). These financial representatives in turn may recommend that investors purchase shares of a DWS fund. The Plan is an incentive program that combines monthly and quarterly incentive components based on achieving certain sales and other performance metrics. Under the Plan, DWS Wholesalers will receive a monetary monthly incentive based on the amount of sales generated from their marketing of the funds, and that incentive will differ depending on the product tier of a fund. Each fund is assigned to one of four product tiers—taking into consideration, among other things, the following criteria, where applicable:

•

a fund’s consistency with DWS’s branding and long-term strategy

•

a fund’s competitive performance

•

a fund’s Morningstar rating

•

the length of time a fund’s Portfolio Managers have managed a fund/strategy

•

market size for the fund tier

•

a fund’s size, including sales and redemptions of a fund’s shares

This information and other factors are discussed with senior representatives from various groups within the asset management division, who review on a regular basis the funds assigned to each product tier described above and may make changes to those assignments periodically. No one factor, whether positive or negative, determines a fund’s placement in a given product tier; all these factors together are considered, and the designation of funds in a particular tier represents management’s judgment based on the above criteria. In addition, management may consider a fund’s profile over the course of several review periods before making a change to its

tier assignment. These tier assignments will be posted to the DWS funds’ Web site at: fundsus.dws.com/us/en-us/legal-resources/wholesaler-compensation.html. DWS Wholesalers receive the highest compensation for Tier 1 funds, successively less for Tier 2 funds, successively less for Tier 3 funds and successively less for Tier 4 funds. The level of compensation among these product tiers may differ significantly.

In the normal course of business, DWS will from time to time introduce new funds into the DWS family of funds. As a general rule, new funds will be assigned to the product tier that is most appropriate to the type of fund at the time of its launch based on the criteria described above. As described above, the fund tier assignments are reviewed periodically and are subject to change.

The prospect of receiving, or the receipt of, additional compensation by a DWS Wholesaler under the Plan may provide an incentive to favor marketing funds in higher payout tiers over funds in lower payout tiers. The Plan, however, will not change the price that investors pay for shares of a fund. The DWS Compliance Department monitors DWS Wholesaler sales and other activity in an effort to detect unusual activity in the context of the compensation structure under the Plan. However, investors may wish to take the compensation structure into account when considering purchasing a fund or evaluating any recommendations relating to fund shares.

Financial Services Firms’ Compensation. DDI may pay compensation to financial intermediaries in connection with the sale of fund shares as described in Part II – Appendix II-D. In addition, financial intermediaries may receive compensation for post-sale administrative services from DDI or directly from a fund as described in Part II – Appendix II-D.

Compensation for Recordkeeping Services. Certain financial institutions, including affiliates of DDI, may receive compensation from a fund for recordkeeping and other expenses relating to nominee accounts or for providing certain services to their client accounts. Generally, payments by a fund to financial institutions for providing such services are not expected to exceed 0.25% of shareholder assets for which such services are provided. Normally, compensation for these financial institutions is paid by the Transfer Agent, which is in turn reimbursed by the applicable fund. To the extent that record keeping compensation in excess of the amount reimbursed by a fund is owed to a financial institution, the Transfer Agent,

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Distributor or Advisor may pay compensation from their own resources (see Financial Intermediary Support Payments below).

Compensation for Recordkeeping Services: Variable Insurance Funds. Technically, the shareholders of Deutsche DWS Variable Series I, Deutsche DWS Variable Series II and Deutsche DWS Investments VIT Funds are the participating insurance companies that offer shares of the funds as investment options for holders of certain variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Effectively, ownership of fund shares is passed through to insurance company contract and policy holders. The holders of the shares of a fund on the records of a fund are the insurance companies and no information concerning fund holdings of specific contract and policy holders is maintained by a fund. The insurance companies place orders for the purchase and redemption of fund shares with a fund reflecting the investment of premiums paid, surrender and transfer requests and other matters on a net basis; they maintain all records of the transactions and holdings of fund shares and distributions thereon for individual contract and policy holders; and they prepare and mail to contract and policy holders confirmations and periodic account statements reflecting such transactions and holdings.

A fund may compensate certain insurance companies for record keeping and other administrative services performed with regard to holdings of Class B shares as an expense of the Class B shares up to 0.15%. These fees are included within the “Other Expenses” category in the fee table for each portfolio in the Class B Shares Prospectus (see How Much Investors Pay in the applicable fund's prospectus). In addition, the Advisor may, from time to time, pay from its own resources certain insurance companies for record keeping and other administrative services related to Class A and Class B shares of the Portfolios held by such insurance companies on behalf of their contract and policy holders (see Financial Intermediary Support Payments below).

Financial Intermediary Support Payments (not applicable to Class R6 shares). The Advisor, the Distributor and their affiliates have undertaken to furnish certain additional information below regarding the level of payments made by them to selected affiliated and unaffiliated brokers, dealers, participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries (financial representatives) in connection with the sale and/or distribution of fund shares or the retention and/or servicing of investors and fund shares (revenue sharing).

The Advisor, the Distributor and/or their affiliates may pay additional compensation, out of their own assets and not as an additional charge to each fund, to financial representatives in connection with the sale and/or distribution of fund shares or the retention and/or servicing of fund investors and fund shares. Such revenue sharing payments are in addition to any distribution or service fees payable under any Rule 12b-1 or service plan of any fund, any recordkeeping/sub-transfer agency/networking fees payable by each fund (generally through the Distributor or an affiliate) and/or the Distributor or the Advisor to certain financial representatives for performing such services and any sales charges, commissions, non-cash compensation arrangements expressly permitted under applicable rules of FINRA or other concessions described in the fee table or elsewhere in the prospectuses or the SAI as payable to all financial representatives. For example, the Advisor, the Distributor and/or their affiliates may, using their legitimate profits, compensate financial representatives for providing each fund with “shelf space” or access to a third party platform or fund offering list, or other marketing programs including, without limitation, inclusion of each fund on preferred or recommended sales lists, mutual fund “supermarket” platforms and other formal sales programs; granting the Distributor access to the financial representative’s sales force; granting the Distributor access to the financial representative’s conferences and meetings; assistance in training and educating the financial representative’s personnel; and obtaining other forms of marketing support. In addition, revenue sharing payments may consist of the Distributor’s and/or its affiliates’ payment or reimbursement of ticket charges that would otherwise be assessed by a financial representative on an investor’s fund transactions. The level of revenue sharing payments made to financial representatives may be a fixed fee or based upon one or more of the following factors: gross sales, current assets and/or number of accounts of each fund attributable to the financial representative, the particular fund or fund type or other measures as agreed to by the Advisor, the Distributor and/or their affiliates and the financial representatives or any combination thereof. The amount of these payments is determined at the discretion of the Advisor, the Distributor and/or their affiliates from time to time, may be substantial, and may be different for different financial representatives based on, for example, the nature of the services provided by the financial representative.

The Advisor, the Distributor and/or their affiliates currently make revenue sharing payments from their own assets in connection with the sale and/or distribution of DWS fund shares, or the retention and/or servicing of investors,

II-24

to financial representatives in amounts that generally range from 0.01% up to 0.52% of assets of a fund serviced and maintained by the financial representative, 0.05% to 0.25% of sales of a fund attributable to the financial representative, a flat fee of up to $95,000, or any combination thereof. These amounts are annual figures typically paid on a quarterly basis and are subject to change at the discretion of the Advisor, the Distributor and/or their affiliates. Receipt of, or the prospect of receiving, this additional compensation, may influence your financial representative’s recommendation of a fund or of any particular share class of a fund. You should review your financial representative’s compensation disclosure and/or talk to your financial representative to obtain more information on how this compensation may have influenced your financial representative’s recommendation of a fund.

Other Payments to Financial Intermediaries. In addition to the above-described payments, the Distributor may, using its legitimate profits, pay fees to a financial intermediary who sells shares of the funds for other products or services offered through the financial intermediary that are unrelated to the sale or distribution of the funds’ shares, but which may be helpful to the Distributor in carrying out its distribution responsibilities. Such products or services may include access to various kinds of analytical data. Such payments may be in the form of licensing fees.

(For all funds except for DWS ESG Liquidity Fund): The Advisor, the Distributor and/or their affiliates may also make such revenue sharing payments to financial representatives under the terms discussed above in connection with the distribution of both DWS funds and non-DWS funds by financial representatives to retirement plans that obtain recordkeeping services from ADP, Inc. or to 403(b) plans that obtain recordkeeping services from Ascensus, Inc., on the DWS-branded retirement plan platform (the Platform). The level of revenue sharing payments is based upon sales of both the DWS funds and the non-DWS funds by the financial representative on the Platform or current assets of both the DWS funds and the non-DWS funds serviced and maintained by the financial representative on the Platform.

Each fund has been advised that the Advisor, the Distributor and their affiliates expect that the firms listed in Part II—Appendix II-E will receive revenue sharing payments at different points during the coming year as described above.

The Advisor, the Distributor or their affiliates may enter into additional revenue sharing arrangements or change or discontinue existing arrangements with financial representatives at any time without notice.

The prospect of receiving, or the receipt of additional compensation or promotional incentives described above by financial representatives may provide such financial representatives and/or their salespersons with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the DWS funds or a particular DWS fund over sales of shares of mutual funds (or non-mutual fund investments) with respect to which the financial representative does not receive additional compensation or promotional incentives, or receives lower levels of additional compensation or promotional incentives. Similarly, financial representatives may receive different compensation or incentives that may influence their recommendation of any particular share class of a fund or of other funds. These payment arrangements, however, will not change the price that an investor pays for fund shares or the amount that a fund receives to invest on behalf of an investor and will not increase fund expenses. You may wish to take such payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to fund shares and you should discuss this matter with your financial representative and review your financial representative’s disclosures.

It is likely that broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions for a fund will include firms that also sell shares of the DWS funds to their customers. However, the Advisor will not consider sales of DWS fund shares as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the DWS funds. Accordingly, the Advisor has implemented policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent its traders from considering sales of DWS fund shares as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for a fund. In addition, the Advisor, the Distributor and/or their affiliates will not use fund brokerage to pay for their obligation to provide additional compensation to financial representatives as described above.

Class R6 Shares. None of the above-described financial intermediary support payments are made with respect to Class R6 shares. To the extent a fund makes such payments with respect to another class of its shares, the expense is borne by the other share class.

Dividends (for non-Money Market Funds). A fund, other than a money fund, intends to distribute, at least annually: (i) substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid

II-25

deduction), which generally includes taxable ordinary income and any excess of net realized short-term capital gains over net realized long-term capital losses; (ii) net tax-exempt income, if any; and (iii) the entire excess of net realized long-term capital gains over net realized short-term capital losses. However, if a fund determines that it is in the interest of its shareholders, a fund may decide to retain all or part of its net realized long-term capital gains for reinvestment, after paying the related federal taxes. In such a case, shareholders will be treated for federal income tax purposes as having received their share of such gains, but will then generally be able to claim a credit against their federal income tax liability for the federal income tax a fund pays on such gain. If a fund does not distribute the amount of ordinary income and/or capital gain required to be distributed by an excise tax provision of the Code, as amended, a fund may be subject to that excise tax on the undistributed amounts. In certain circumstances, a fund may determine that it is in the interest of shareholders to distribute less than the required amount.

A fund has a schedule for paying out any earnings to shareholders (see Understanding Distributions and Taxes in each fund's prospectus). Additional distributions may also be made in November or December (or treated as made on December 31) if necessary to avoid an excise tax imposed under the Code.

Any dividends or capital gains distributions declared in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid during the following January will be treated by shareholders for federal income tax purposes as if received on December 31 of the calendar year declared.

Dividends paid by a fund with respect to each class of its shares will be calculated in the same manner, at the same time and on the same day.

The level of income dividends per share (as a percentage of net asset value) will be lower for Class C shares than for other share classes primarily as a result of the distribution services fee applicable to Class C shares. Distributions of capital gains, if any, will be paid in the same amount for each class.

Income dividends and capital gain dividends (see Taxation of US Shareholders – Dividends and Distributions), if any, of a fund will be credited to shareholder accounts in full and fractional shares of the same class of that fund at net asset value on the reinvestment date, unless shareholders indicate to the Shareholder Service Agent, that they wish to receive them in cash or in shares of other

DWS funds as provided in the fund's prospectus. Shareholders must maintain the required minimum account balance in the fund distributing the dividends in order to use this privilege of investing dividends of a fund in shares of another DWS fund. A fund will reinvest dividend checks (and future dividends) in shares of that same fund and class if checks are returned as undeliverable. Dividends and other distributions of a fund in the aggregate amount of $10 or less are automatically reinvested in shares of that fund and class unless the shareholder requests that a check be issued for that particular distribution. Shareholders who chose to receive distributions by electronic transfer are not subject to this minimum.

Generally, if a shareholder has elected to reinvest any dividends and/or other distributions, such distributions will be made in shares of that fund and confirmations will be mailed to each shareholder. If a shareholder has chosen to receive cash, a check will be sent. Distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains are generally taxable, whether made in shares or cash.

With respect to variable insurance products, all distributions will be reinvested in shares of a fund unless we are informed by an insurance company that they should be paid out in cash. The insurance companies will be informed about the amount and character of distributions from the relevant fund for federal income tax purposes.

Each distribution is accompanied by a brief explanation of the form and character of the distribution. The characterization of distributions on such correspondence may differ from the characterization for federal income tax purposes. Early each year, a fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions in the prior calendar year.

A fund may at any time vary its foregoing distribution practices and, therefore, reserves the right from time to time to either distribute or retain for reinvestment such of its net investment income and its net short-term and net long-term capital gains as its Board determines appropriate under the then-current circumstances. In particular, and without limiting the foregoing, a fund may make additional distributions of net investment income or net realized capital gain in order to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements contained in the Code.

Dividends (Money Market Funds). Dividends are declared daily and paid monthly. Shareholders will receive dividends in additional shares unless they elect to receive

II-26

cash, as provided in a fund's prospectus. Dividends will be reinvested monthly in shares of a fund at net asset value. Shareholders will receive all unpaid dividends upon redeeming their entire account, unless they elect to receive all unpaid dividends on the next monthly dividend payment date, as provided in a fund’s prospectus.

Each fund calculates its dividends based on its daily net investment income. For this purpose, the net investment income of a money fund generally consists of (a) accrued interest income plus or minus amortized discount or premium, (b) plus or minus all short-term realized gains and losses on investments and (c) minus accrued expenses allocated to the applicable fund. Expenses of each money fund are accrued each day. Dividends are reinvested monthly and shareholders will receive monthly confirmations of dividends and of purchase and redemption transactions except that confirmations of dividend reinvestment for DWS IRAs and other fiduciary accounts for which SSB acts as trustee will be sent quarterly.

Distributions of a fund's net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses, if any, and any undistributed net realized short-term capital gains in excess of net realized long-term capital losses are normally declared and paid annually at the end of the fiscal year in which they were earned to the extent they are not offset by any capital loss carryforwards.

If the shareholder elects to receive dividends or distributions in cash, checks will be mailed monthly, within five business days of the reinvestment date, to the shareholder or any person designated by the shareholder. Each fund reinvests dividend checks (and future dividends) in shares of a fund if checks are returned as undeliverable. Dividends and other distributions in the aggregate amount of $10 or less are automatically reinvested in shares of a fund unless the shareholder requests that a check be issued for that particular distribution. Shareholders who chose to receive distributions by electronic transfer are not subject to this minimum.

Dividends and distributions are treated the same for federal income tax purposes, whether made in shares or cash.

Distribution and Service Agreements and Plans

For information regarding distribution and service agreements and plans for retail funds, see I. Retail Funds below.

For information regarding distribution and service agreements and plans for money market funds, see II. Money Market Funds below.

For information regarding distribution and service agreements and plans for variable insurance funds, see III. Deutsche DWS Variable Series I and Deutsche DWS Variable Series II; and IV. Deutsche DWS Investments VIT Funds below.

For all of the agreements and plans described below, no Independent Board Member has any direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the agreement or plan.

I. Retail Funds

A fund may offer only certain of the classes of shares referred

	Funds Overseen by Board Member in the DWS Funds
Independent Board Member:
John W. Ballantine	Over $100,000
Dawn-Marie Driscoll	Over $100,000
Keith R. Fox	Over $100,000
Richard J. Herring	Over $100,000
Rebecca W. Rimel	Over $100,000
Catherine Schrand	$50,001 – $100,000
William N. Searcy, Jr.	Over $100,000
Independent Advisory Board Member:
Chad D. Perry	None

Independent Board Member	Owner and Relationship to Board Member	Company	Title of Class	Value of Securities on an Aggregate Basis	Percent of Class on an Aggregate Basis
John W. Ballantine		None
Dawn-Marie Driscoll		None
Keith R. Fox		None
Richard J. Herring		None
Rebecca W. Rimel		None
Catherine Schrand		None
William N. Searcy, Jr.		None

Independent Advisory Board Member	Owner and Relationship to Advisory Board Member	Company	Title of Class	Value of Securities on an Aggregate Basis	Percent of Class on an Aggregate Basis
Chad D. Perry		None

Name and Address of Investor	Shares	Class	Percentage
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC FOR EXCLUSIVE BENE OF OUR CUSTOMERS ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT - 4TH FL 499 WASHINGTON BLVD JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-1995	1,416,772.41	A	9.73%
PERSHING LLC 1 PERSHING PLZ JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0001	1,059,742.71	A	7.28%
FIRST CLEARING LLC SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMER 2801 MARKET ST ST LOUIS MO 63103-2523	997,126.90	A	6.85%

Name and Address of Investor	Shares	Class	Percentage
FIRST CLEARING LLC SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMER 2801 MARKET ST ST LOUIS MO 63103-2523	32,850.51	C	13.52%
RAYMOND JAMES OMNIBUS FOR MUTUAL FUNDS HOUSE ACCT FIRM XXXXXXXX ATTN COURTNEY WALLER 880 CARILLON PARKWAY ST PETERSBURG FL 33716-1100	30,646.86	C	12.62%
MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER PLAZA II 3RD FLOOR JERSEY CITY NJ 07311	22,940.29	C	9.44%
PERSHING LLC 1 PERSHING PLZ JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0001	14,908.40	C	6.14%
RAYMOND JAMES OMNIBUS FOR MUTUAL FUNDS HOUSE ACCT FIRM XXXXXXXX ATTN COURTNEY WALLER 880 CARILLON PARKWAY ST PETERSBURG FL 33716-1100	344,819.94	Institutional	18.21%
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SVC 707 2ND AVE S MINNEAPOLIS MN 55402-2405	292,052.40	Institutional	15.43%
FIRST CLEARING LLC SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMER 2801 MARKET ST ST LOUIS MO 63103-2523	279,738.06	Institutional	14.78%
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC FOR EXCLUSIVE BENE OF OUR CUSTOMERS ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT - 4TH FL 499 WASHINGTON BLVD JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-1995	244,604.18	Institutional	12.92%
PERSHING LLC 1 PERSHING PLZ JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0001	162,534.64	Institutional	8.59%
MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER PLAZA II 3RD FLOOR JERSEY CITY NJ 07311	125,330.70	Institutional	6.62%

	Page
Part I	I-1
Definitions	I-1
Fund Organization	I-1
Management of the Fund	I-2
Sales Charges and Distribution Plan Payments	I-2
Portfolio Transactions, Brokerage Commissions and Securities Lending Activities	I-2
Investments	I-3
Investment Restrictions	I-3
Taxes	I-5
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, Reports to Shareholders and Financial Statements	I-5
Additional Information	I-5
Part I: Appendix I-A—Board Member/Advisory Board Member Share Ownership and Control Persons	I-6
Part I: Appendix I-B—Board Committees and Meetings	I-11
Part I: Appendix I-C—Board Member Compensation	I-14
Part I: Appendix I-D—Portfolio Management	I-16
Part I: Appendix I-E—Service Provider Compensation	I-18
Part I: Appendix I-F—Sales Charges	I-19
Part I: Appendix I-G—Distribution Plan Payments	I-20
Part I: Appendix I-H—Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage Commissions	I-21
Part I: Appendix I-I—Investments, Practices and Techniques, and Risks	I-22
Part I: Appendix I-J—Securities Lending Activities	I-23
Part I: Appendix I-K—Additional Information	I-25
Part II	II-1
Detailed Part II table of contents precedes page II-1

Board Member	DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund
Independent Board Member:
John W. Ballantine	None
Dawn-Marie Driscoll	None
Keith R. Fox	None
Richard J. Herring	None
Rebecca W. Rimel	None
Catherine Schrand	None
William N. Searcy, Jr.	None

Name of Committee	Number of Meetings in Last Calendar Year	Functions	Current Members
AUDIT COMMITTEE	5	Assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility for oversight of (1) the integrity of the financial statements, (2) a fund’s accounting and financial reporting policies and procedures, (3) a fund’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements related to accounting and financial reporting, (4) valuation of fund assets and securities and (5) the qualifications, independence and performance of the independent registered public accounting firm for a fund. Oversees a fund’s valuation designee, who is responsible for valuing the fund’s securities and other assets. The Audit Committee also approves and recommends to the Board the appointment, retention or termination of the independent registered public accounting firm for a fund, reviews the scope of audit and internal controls, considers and reports to the Board on matters relating to a fund’s accounting and financial reporting practices, and performs such other tasks as the full Board deems necessary or appropriate.	Catherine Schrand (Chair), Richard J. Herring (Vice Chair) and John W. Ballantine

Board Member	Total Compensation from the fund and DWS Fund Complex(1)
Independent Board Member:
John W. Ballantine	$315,000
Dawn-Marie Driscoll	$315,000
Keith R. Fox(2)	$440,000
Richard J. Herring	$315,000
Rebecca W. Rimel(3)	$340,000
Catherine Schrand	$315,000
William N. Searcy, Jr.(3)	$340,000
Independent Advisory Board Member:
Chad D. Perry	$315,000

Name of Portfolio Manager	Dollar Range of Fund Shares Owned	Dollar Range of All DWS Fund Shares Owned
Di Kumble	$1 - $10,000	$100,001 - $500,000
John Moody	$0	$0

Name of Portfolio Manager	Number of Registered Investment Companies	Total Assets of Registered Investment Companies	Number of Investment Company Accounts with Performance- Based Fee	Total Assets of Performance-Based Fee Accounts
Di Kumble	9	$6,035,938,348	0	$0
John Moody	4	$1,253,574,723	0	$0

Name of Portfolio Manager	Number of Pooled Investment Vehicles	Total Assets of Pooled Investment Vehicles	Number of Pooled Investment Vehicle Accounts with Performance- Based Fee	Total Assets of Performance- Based Fee Accounts
Di Kumble	0	$0	0	$0
John Moody	0	$0	0	$0

Name of Portfolio Manager	Number of Other Accounts	Total Assets of Other Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance- Based Fee	Total Assets of Performance- Based Fee Accounts
Di Kumble	8	$3,369,293,817	0	$0
John Moody	8	$3,071,536,430	0	$0

Fiscal Year Ended	Gross Amount Paid to DIMA for Advisory Services	Amount Waived by DIMA for Advisory Services	Gross Amount Paid to DIMA for General Administrative Services	Amount Waived by DIMA for General Administrative Services
2022	$5,768,770	$0	—	—
2021	$6,249,923	$0	—	—
2020	$6,606,719	$0	—	—

Fiscal Year Ended	Gross Amount Paid to DSC for Transfer Agency Services	Amount Waived by DSC for Transfer Agency Services	Gross Amount Paid to DIMA for Fund Accounting Services(1)	Amount Waiver by DIMA of Fund Accounting Services
2022	$331,739	$906	$0	$0
2021	$349,377	$1,541	$0	$0
2020	$349,170	$4,523	$0	$0

Name and Address of Investor	Shares	Class	Percentage
RBC CAPITAL MARKETS LLC MUTUAL FUND OMNIBUS PROCESSING OMNIBUS 510 MARQUETTE AVE MINNEAPOLIS MN 55402-1110	100,286.10	Institutional	5.30%
LPL FINANCIAL 9785 TOWNE CENTRE DR SAN DIEGO CA 92121-1968	99,415.30	Institutional	5.25%
EMPOWER TRUST FBO EMPOWER BENEFIT GRAND FATHERED PLAN 8515 E ORCHARD RD 2T2 GREENWOOD VLG CO 80111-5002	3,235.68	R	47.98%
RELIANCE TRUST CO TTEE FBO ADP ACCESS LARGE MARKET 401K 201 17TH ST NW STE 1000 ATLANTA GA 30363-1195	1,647.44	R	24.43%
MATRIX TRUST COMPANY CUST. FBO THE BAIR FOUNDATION EMPLOYEES' RETI 717 17TH ST STE 1300 DENVER CO 80202-3304	934.14	R	13.85%
ASCENSUS TR CO FBO WILLIAM BARTHMAN JEWELERS LTD RETIR PO BOX 10758 FARGO ND 58106-0758	707.44	R	10.49%
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC FOR EXCLUSIVE BENE OF OUR CUSTOMERS ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT - 4TH FL 499 WASHINGTON BLVD JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-1995	9,683.24	R6	59.36%
UBS WM USA OMNI ACCOUNT M/F SPEC CDY A/C EXCL BEN CUST UBSFSI 1000 HARBOR BLVD WEEHAWKEN NJ 07086-6761	2,886.08	R6	17.69%
PAI TR CO INC NATALIE S SHARP MD LLC 401K PS 1300 ENTERPRISE DR DE PERE WI 54115-4934	2,165.21	R6	13.27%
UBS WM USA OMNI ACCOUNT M/F SPEC CDY A/C EXCL BEN CUST UBSFSI 1000 HARBOR BLVD WEEHAWKEN NJ 07086-6761	304,882.32	S	37.59%

Name and Address of Investor	Shares	Class	Percentage
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC FOR EXCLUSIVE BENE OF OUR CUSTOMERS ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT - 4TH FL 499 WASHINGTON BLVD JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-1995	86,525.31	S	10.67%
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FBO CUSTOMERS ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS 211 MAIN ST SAN FRANCISCO CA 94105-1901	62,056.69	S	7.65%
LPL FINANCIAL 9785 TOWNE CENTRE DR SAN DIEGO CA 92121-1968	46,056.32	S	5.68%
RELIANCE TRUST CO TTEE FBO ADP ACCESS LARGE MARKET 401K 201 17TH ST NW STE 1000 ATLANTA GA 30363-1195	41,846.59	S	5.16%

	Fiscal Year	Aggregate Sales Commissions	Aggregate Commissions Retained by DDI
DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund	2022	$54,625	$10,478
	2021	$42,465	$8,917
	2020	$56,422	$14,042

	Fiscal Year	Class A Shares	Class C Shares
DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund	2022	$162	$716
	2021	$1	$635
	2020	$31	$3,925

		12b-1 Distribution Fees	12b-1 Shareholder Services Fees	12b-1 Shareholder Services Fees Waived
DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund	Class A	N/A	$1,876,224	$0
	Class C	$101,017	$32,850	$0
	Class R	$1,003	$945	$141

	Fiscal Year	Brokerage Commissions Paid by Fund
DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund	2022	$165,999
	2021(1)	$140,036
	2020	$452,816

	Fiscal Year	Name of Affiliated Broker	Affiliation	Aggregate Brokerage Commissions Paid by Fund to Affiliated Brokers	% of the Total Brokerage Commissions	% of the Aggregate Dollar Value of all Portfolio Transactions
DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund	2022	None	—	None	—	—
	2021	None	—	None	—	—
	2020	None	—	None	—	—

Fund	Amount of Transactions with Research Firms	Commissions Paid on Transactions with Research Firms
DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund	$0	$0

	DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund
Gross income from securities lending activities (including income from cash collateral reinvestment)	$9,336
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Fees paid to securities lending agent from a revenue split	$230
Fees paid for any cash collateral management service (including fees deducted from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle) that are not included in the revenue split	$6,082
Administrative fees not included in revenue split	$0
Indemnification fee not included in revenue split	$0
Rebate (paid to borrower)	$0
Other fees not included in revenue split	$0

	DWS CROCI® Equity Dividend Fund
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities and related services	$6,312
Net income from securities lending activities	$3,024