ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PORTFOLIO RISKS, INVESTMENTS, AND TECHNIQUES. This section provides further information on certain types of investments and investment techniques that may be used by the Fund, including their associated risks.

BORROWING MONEY. The Fund may borrow money for certain purposes as described above under "Fundamental Investment Restrictions." If the Fund borrows money and experiences a decline in its net asset value, the borrowing will increase its losses.

BRADY BONDS. The Fund may invest in so-called "Brady Bonds," which are securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to public and private entities for new bonds in connection with debt restructuring under a debt restructuring plan announced by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Nicholas F. Brady. Brady Bonds may be collateralized or uncollateralized, are issued in various currencies (primarily the U.S. dollar) and are currently actively traded in the over the counter secondary market for debt instruments. Brady Bonds do not have a long payment history and are subject to, among other things, the risk of default. In light of the history of commercial bank loan defaults by Latin American public and private entities, investment in Brady Bonds may be viewed as speculative.

Dollar-denominated, collateralized Brady Bonds, which may be fixed rate par bonds or floating rate discount bonds, are collateralized in full as to principal by U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds having the same maturity as the bonds. Interest payment on these Brady Bonds generally are collateralized by cash or securities in the amount that, in the case of fixed rate bonds, is equal to at least one year of rolling interest payments or, in the case of floating rate bonds, initially is equal to at least one year's rolling interest payments based on the applicable interest rate at that time and is adjusted at regular intervals thereafter.

Brady Bonds are often viewed as having three or four valuation components: the collateralized repayment of principal at final maturity; the collateralized interest payments; the uncollateralized interest payments; and any uncollateralized repayment of principal at maturity (these uncollateralized amounts constituting the "residual risk").

CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities are preferred stocks or debt obligations that are convertible into common stock. Generally, convertible securities offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality and less potential for gains or capital appreciation in a rising stock market than equity securities. They tend to be more volatile than other fixed income securities, and the markets for convertible securities may be less liquid than markets for common stocks or bonds. Convertible securities have both equity and fixed income risk characteristics. Like all fixed income securities, the value of convertible securities is susceptible to the risk of market losses attributable to changes in interest rates. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase. If, however, the market price of the common stock underlying a convertible security approaches or exceeds the conversion price of the convertible security, the convertible security tends to reflect the market price of the underlying common stock. In such a case, a convertible security may lose much or all of its value if the value of the underlying common stock then falls below the conversion price of the security. As the market price of the underlying common stock declines, the convertible security tends to trade increasingly based on its fixed income characteristics, and thus, may not necessarily decline in price as much as the underlying common stock.

DEBT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in debt securities, such as bonds, debentures, government obligations, commercial paper and pass-through instruments. The value of debt securities may fluctuate based on changes in interest rates and the issuer's financial condition. When interest rates rise or the issuer's financial condition worsens or is perceived by the market to be at greater risk, the value of debt securities tends to decline.

DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. The Fund may invest in American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and similar depositary receipts. ADRs, typically issued by a financial institution (a "depositary"), evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities issued by a foreign company and deposited with the depositary. Prices of ADRs are quoted in U.S. dollars, and ADRs are traded in the United States. Ownership of ADRs entails similar investment risks to direct ownership of foreign securities traded outside the U.S., including increased market, liquidity, currency, political, information, and other risks.

EMERGING COUNTRIES. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in emerging country securities. Lord Abbett considers emerging markets to be those included in the MSCI Emerging Market Free Index. The securities markets of emerging countries tend to be less liquid, especially subject to greater price volatility, have a smaller market capitalization, have less government regulation and not to be subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements as securities issued in more developed countries. Further, investing in the securities of issuers located in certain emerging countries may present a greater risk of loss resulting from problems in security registration and custody or substantial economic or political disruptions.

FOREIGN CURRENCY OPTIONS. The Fund may take positions in options on foreign currencies to hedge against the risk that foreign exchange rate fluctuations will affect the value of foreign securities the Fund holds in its portfolio or intends to purchase. For example, if the Fund were to enter into a contract to purchase securities denominated in a foreign currency, it could effectively fix the maximum U.S. dollar cost of the securities by purchasing call options on that foreign currency. Similarly, if the Fund held securities denominated in a foreign currency and anticipated a decline in the value of that currency against the U.S. dollar, it could hedge against such a decline by purchasing a put option on the currency involved. The Fund's ability to establish and close out positions in such options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid secondary market. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time. In addition, options on foreign currencies are affected by all of those factors that influence foreign exchange rates and investments generally.

Transaction costs may be higher because the quantities of currencies underlying option contracts that the Fund may enter represent odd lots in a market dominated by transactions between banks.

There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or any regulatory requirement that quotations be firm or revised on a timely basis. Quotation information is generally representative of very large transactions in the interbank market and may not reflect smaller transactions where rates may be less favorable. Option markets may be closed while round-the-clock interbank currency markets are open, and this can create price and rate discrepancies.

The Fund may effectively terminate its rights or obligations under options by entering into closing transactions. Closing transactions permit the Fund to realize profits or limit losses on its options positions prior to the exercise or expiration of the option. The value of a foreign currency option depends on the value of the underlying currency relative to the U.S. dollar. Other factors affecting the value of an option are the time remaining until expiration, the relationship of the exercise price to market price, the historical price volatility of the underlying currency and general market conditions. As a result, changes in the value of an option position may have no relationship to the investment merit of the foreign currency. Whether a profit or loss is realized on a closing transaction depends on the price movement of the underlying currency and the market value of the option.

Options normally have expiration dates of up to nine months. The exercise price may be below, equal to or above the current market value of the underlying currency. Options that expire unexercised have no value, and the Fund will realize a loss of any premium paid and any transaction costs. Although the Fund intends to enter into foreign currency options only with dealers which agree to enter into, and which are expected to be capable of entering into, closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate an option at a favorable price at any time prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counter-party, the Fund may be unable to liquidate a foreign currency option. Accordingly, it may not be possible to effect closing transactions with respect to certain options, with the result that the Fund would have to exercise those options that it had purchased in order to realize any profit.

FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS. The Fund engages in spot transactions and may use forward contracts to protect against uncertainty in the level of future exchange rates.

The Fund may enter into forward contracts with respect to specific transactions. For example, when the Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, or when the Fund anticipates the receipt in a foreign currency of dividend or interest payments on a security that it holds, the Fund may desire to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of the security or the U.S. dollar equivalent of the payment, by entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars or foreign currency, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transaction. The Fund will thereby be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the currency exchange rates during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received.

The Fund also may use forward contracts in connection with existing portfolio positions to lock in the U.S. dollar value of those positions, to increase the Fund's exposure to foreign currencies that Lord Abbett believes may rise in value relative to the U.S. dollar or to shift the Fund's exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. For example, when Lord Abbett believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may suffer a substantial decline relative to the U.S. dollar or another currency, it may enter into a forward contract to sell the amount of the former foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of the Fund's portfolio securities denominated in such foreign currency. This investment practice generally is referred to as "cross-hedging" when another foreign currency is used.

The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. Accordingly, it may be necessary for the Fund to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot (that is, cash) market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security is less than the amount of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver and if a decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received upon the sale of the portfolio security if its market value exceeds the amount of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain. Forward contracts involve the risk that anticipated currency movements may not be accurately predicted, causing the Fund to sustain losses on these contracts and transaction costs.

At or before the maturity date of a forward contract that requires the Fund to sell a currency, the Fund may either sell a portfolio security and use the sale proceeds to make delivery of the currency or retain the security and offset its contractual obligation to deliver the currency by purchasing a second contract pursuant to which the Fund will obtain, on the same maturity date, the same amount of the currency that it is obligated to deliver. Similarly, the Fund may close out a forward contract requiring it to purchase a specified currency by entering into a second contract entitling it to sell the

same amount of the same currency on the maturity date of the first contract. The Fund would realize a gain or loss as a result of entering into such an offsetting forward contract under either circumstance to the extent the exchange rate between the currencies involved moved between the execution dates of the first and second contracts.

The cost to the Fund of engaging in forward contracts varies with factors such as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. The use of forward contracts does not eliminate fluctuations in the prices of the underlying securities the Fund owns or intends to acquire, but it does fix a rate of exchange in advance. In addition, although forward contracts limit the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currencies, at the same time they limit any potential gain that might result should the value of the currencies increase.

FOREIGN SECURITIES. As described in the Prospectus, the Fund primarily invests in foreign securities. Foreign securities may involve special risks that are not typically associated with U.S. dollar denominated or quoted securities of U.S. issuers, including the following:

- Foreign securities may be affected by changes in currency rates, changes in foreign or U.S. laws or restrictions applicable to foreign securities and changes in exchange control regulations (i.e., currency blockage). A decline in the exchange rate of the foreign currency in which a portfolio security is quoted or denominated relative to the U.S. dollar would reduce the value of the portfolio security in U.S. dollars.
- Brokerage commissions, custodial services, and other costs relating to investment in foreign securities markets generally are more expensive than in the U.S.
- Clearance and settlement procedures may be different in foreign countries and, in certain markets, such procedures may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, thus making it difficult to conduct such transactions.
- Foreign issuers are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. There may be less publicly available information about a foreign issuer than about a comparable U.S. issuer.
- There is generally less government regulation of foreign markets, companies and securities dealers than in the U.S.
- Foreign securities markets may have substantially less volume than U.S. securities markets, and securities of many foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic issuers.
- Foreign securities may trade on days when the Fund does not sell shares. As a result, the value of the Fund's portfolio securities may change on days an investor may not be able to purchase or redeem Fund shares.
- With respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, imposition of withholding or other taxes on dividend or interest payments (or, in some cases, capital gains), limitations on the removal of funds or other assets of the Fund, and political or social instability or diplomatic developments that could affect investments in those countries. In addition, the Fund may invest in less developed countries, sometimes referred to as emerging markets. The risks of investing in foreign markets are generally more severe in emerging markets.

FUTURES CONTRACTS AND OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS. The Fund may engage in futures and options on futures transactions in accordance with its investment objective and policies.

Futures contracts are standardized contracts that provide for the sale or purchase of a specified financial instrument at a future time at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right (and the writer of the option the obligation) to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price within a specified period of time. In addition to incurring fees in connection with futures and options, an investor is required to maintain margin deposits. At the time of entering into a futures transaction or writing an option, an investor is required to deposit a specified amount of cash or eligible securities called "initial margin." Subsequent payments, called "variation margin," are made on a daily basis as the market price of the futures contract or option fluctuates.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts, and purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts for bona fide hedging purposes, including to hedge against changes in interest rates, securities prices, or to the extent the Fund invests in foreign securities, currency exchange rates, or in order to pursue risk management strategies, including gaining efficient exposure to markets and minimizing transaction costs. The Fund may also enter into closing purchase and sale transactions with respect to such contracts and options. The Fund may not purchase or sell futures contracts, options on futures contracts, or options on currencies traded on a CFTC-regulated exchange for non bona fide hedging

purposes if the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions would exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund's portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on any such contracts it has entered into.

Futures contracts and options on futures contracts present substantial risks, including the following:

- While the Fund may benefit from the use of futures and related options, unanticipated market events may result in poorer overall performance than if the Fund had not entered into any futures or related options transactions.
- Because perfect correlation between a futures position and a portfolio position that the Fund intends to hedge is impossible to achieve, a hedge may not work as intended, and the Fund may thus be exposed to additional risk of loss.
- The loss that the Fund may incur in entering into futures contracts and in writing call options on futures is potentially unlimited and may exceed the amount of the premium received.
- Futures markets are highly volatile, and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund's net asset value.
- As a result of the low margin deposits normally required in futures and options on futures trading, a relatively small price movement in a contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund.
- Futures contracts and related options may be illiquid, and exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices during a single day.
- The counterparty to an OTC contract may fail to perform its obligations under the contract.

STOCK INDEX FUTURES. Although the Fund has no current intention of doing so, it may seek to reduce the volatility in its portfolio through the use of stock index futures contracts. A stock index futures contract is an agreement pursuant to which two parties agree, one to receive and the other to pay, on a specified date an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount -- established by an exchange or board of trade -- times the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally written. The purchaser pays no consideration at the time the contract is entered into; the purchaser only pays a good faith deposit.

The market value of a stock index futures contract is based primarily on the value of the underlying index. Changes in the value of the index will cause roughly corresponding changes in the market price of the futures contract. If a stock index is established that is made up of securities whose market characteristics closely parallel the market characteristics of the securities in the Fund's portfolio, then the market value of a futures contract on that index should fluctuate in a way closely resembling the market fluctuation of the portfolio. Thus, if the Fund sells futures contracts, a decline in the market value of the portfolio will be offset by an increase in the value of the short futures position to the extent of the hedge (i.e., the size of the futures position). Conversely, when the Fund has cash available (for example, through substantial sales of shares) and wishes to invest the cash in anticipation of a rising market, the Fund could rapidly hedge against the expected market increase by buying futures contracts to offset the cash position and thus cushion the adverse effect of attempting to buy individual securities in a rising market. Stock index futures contracts are subject to the same risks as other futures contracts discussed above under "Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts." To date, the Fund has not entered into any stock index futures contracts and has no present intention to do so.

ILLIQUID SECURITIES. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities that cannot be disposed of in seven days in the ordinary course of business at fair value. Illiquid securities include:

- Domestic and foreign securities that are not readily marketable.
- Repurchase agreements and time deposits with a notice or demand period of more than seven days.
- Certain restricted securities, unless Lord Abbett determines, subject to the oversight of the Board, based upon a review of the trading markets for a specific restricted security, that such restricted security is eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A ("144A Securities") and is liquid.

144A Securities may be resold to a qualified institutional buyer without registration and without regard to whether the seller originally purchased the security for investment. Investing in 144A Securities may decrease the liquidity of the Fund's portfolio to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become for a time uninterested in purchasing these securities. The purchase price and subsequent valuation of restricted and illiquid securities normally reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a liquid market exists.

INVESTMENT COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies subject to limitations prescribed by the Act. These limitations include a prohibition on the Fund acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any other investment company, and a prohibition on investing more than 5% of the Fund's total assets in securities of any one investment company or more than 10% of its total assets in securities of all investment companies. The Fund indirectly will bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by the investment companies in which it invests. Such investment companies will generally be money market funds or have investment objectives, policies and restrictions substantially similar to those of the Fund and will be subject to substantially the same risks.

The Fund may, consistent with its investment policies, invest in investment companies established to accumulate and hold a portfolio of securities that is intended to track the price performance and dividend yield of a well-known securities index. The Fund may use such investment company securities for several reasons, including, but not limited to, facilitating the handling of cash flows or trading, or reducing transaction costs. The price movement of such securities may not perfectly parallel the price movement of the underlying index. An example of this type of security is the Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipt, commonly known as a "SPDR."

The Fund may invest in foreign countries through investment companies. Some emerging countries have laws and regulations that currently preclude direct foreign investments in the securities of their companies. However, indirect foreign investment in the securities of such countries is permitted through investment funds that have been specifically authorized. In addition to the additional fees associated with such indirect investments, these investments are subject to the risks of investing in foreign securities.

REITS. The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), which are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in income-producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. Like regulated investment companies, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). By investing in a REIT, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by the REIT in addition to the expenses of the Fund.

Investing in REITs involves certain risks. A REIT may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by such REIT or by the quality of any credit extended by the REIT. REITs are dependent on management skills, are not diversified (except to the extent the Code requires), and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers, self-liquidation, the possibilities of failing to qualify for the exemption from tax for distributed income under the Code and failing to maintain their exemptions from the 1940 Act. REITs are also subject to interest rate risks.

LISTED OPTIONS ON SECURITIES. The Fund may purchase and write national and international securities exchange-listed put and call options on securities or securities indices. A "call option" is a contract sold for a price giving its holder the right to buy a specific amount of securities at a specific price prior to a specified date. A "covered call option" is a call option issued on securities already owned by the writer of the call option for delivery to the holder upon the exercise of the option. The Fund may write covered call options that are traded on a national or international securities exchange with respect to securities in its portfolio in an attempt to increase income and to provide greater flexibility in the disposition of portfolio securities. During the period of the option, the Fund forgoes the opportunity to profit from any increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option (to the extent that the increase exceeds its net premium). The Fund may also enter into "closing purchase transactions" in order to terminate its obligation to deliver the underlying security. This may result in a short-term gain or loss. A closing purchase transaction is the purchase of a call option (at a cost which may be more or less than the premium received for writing the original call option) on the same security, with the same exercise price and call period as the option previously written. If the Fund is unable to enter into a closing purchase transaction, it may be required to hold a security that it might otherwise have sold to protect against depreciation.

A "put option" gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and obligates the writer to buy, the underlying securities at the exercise price at any time during the option period. A put option sold by the Fund is covered when, among other things, the Fund segregates permissible liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than the exercise price of the option to fulfill the obligation undertaken. Writing listed put options may be a useful portfolio investment strategy when the Fund has cash or other reserves available for investment as a result of sales of Fund shares or when the investment manager believes a more defensive and less fully invested position is desirable in light of market conditions. The Fund

will not purchase an option if, as a result of such purchase, more than 10% of its total assets would be invested in premiums for such options. The Fund may write covered put options to the extent that cover for such options does not exceed 15% of its net assets. The Fund may only sell (write) covered call options with respect to securities having an aggregate market value of less than 25% of its net assets at the time an option is written.

The purchase and writing of options is a highly specialized activity that involves special investment risks. The Fund may use options for hedging or cross-hedging purposes, or to seek to increase total return (which is considered a speculative activity). If Lord Abbett is incorrect in its expectation of changes in market prices or determination of the correlation between the securities on which options are based and the Fund's portfolio securities, the Fund may incur losses. The use of options can also increase the Fund's transaction costs.

LOWER-RATED DEBT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in lower-rated debt securities (also referred to as "junk bonds") that are rated BB/Ba or lower and may pay a higher yield, but entail greater risks, than investment grade debt securities. When compared to investment grade debt securities, lower-rated debt securities:

- have a higher risk of default and their prices can be much more volatile due to lower liquidity;
- tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes; and
- pose a greater risk that exercise of any of their redemption or call provisions in a declining market may result in their replacement by lower-yielding bonds.

In addition, while the market for lower-rated, corporate debt securities has been in existence for many years, the market in recent years experienced a dramatic increase in the large-scale use of such securities to fund highly-leveraged corporate acquisitions and restructurings. Accordingly, past experience may not provide an accurate indication of future performance of this market, especially during periods of economic recession.

Since the risk of default is higher among lower-rated debt securities, Lord Abbett's research and analyses is an important ingredient in the selection of such securities. Through portfolio diversification, good credit analysis and attention to current developments and trends in interest rates and economic conditions, the Fund seeks to reduce this risk. There can be no assurance, however, that this risk will in fact be reduced and that losses will not occur. The Fund does not have any minimum rating criteria applicable to the fixed-income securities in which it invests.

MORTGAGE-RELATED SECURITIES. The mortgage- and asset-backed securities in which the Fund may invest may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates. Like other debt securities, when interest rates rise, the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities generally will decline; however, when interest rates are declining, the value of mortgage-related securities with prepayment features may not increase as much as other fixed income securities. Early repayment of principal on some mortgage-related securities may deprive the Fund of income payments above current market rates. The rate of prepayments on underlying mortgages also will affect the price and volatility of a mortgage-related security. The value of some mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities may fluctuate in response to the market's perception of the creditworthiness of the issuers. Additionally, although mortgages and mortgage-related securities are generally supported by some form of government or private guarantee and/or insurance, there is no assurance that private guarantors or insurers will meet their obligations.

OVER-THE-COUNTER OPTIONS. The Fund may enter over-the-counter options contracts ("OTC options"). OTC options differ from exchange-traded options in several respects. OTC options are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation and there is a risk of nonperformance by the dealer as a result of the insolvency of the dealer or otherwise, in which event, the Fund may experience material losses. However, in writing OTC options, the premium is paid in advance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities, and a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices, than are exchange-traded options. Since there is no exchange, pricing normally is done by reference to information from market makers, which information is carefully monitored by Lord Abbett and verified in appropriate cases.

A writer or purchaser of a put or call option can terminate it voluntarily only by entering into a closing transaction. In the case of OTC options, there can be no assurance that a continuous liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option at any given time. Consequently, the Fund may be able to realize the value of an OTC option it has purchased only by exercising it or entering into a closing sale transaction with the dealer that issued it. Similarly, when the Fund writes an OTC option, generally it can close out that option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer to which the Fund originally wrote it. If a covered call option writer cannot effect a closing

transaction, it cannot sell the underlying security until the option expires or the option is exercised. Therefore, a covered call option writer of an OTC option may not be able to sell an underlying security even though it might otherwise be advantageous to do so. Likewise, a secured put writer of an OTC option may be unable to sell the securities pledged to secure the put for other investment purposes while it is obligated as a put writer. Similarly, a purchaser of such put or call option also might find it difficult to terminate its position on a timely basis in the absence of a secondary market.

The Fund and Lord Abbett believe that such dealers present minimal credit risks to the Fund and, therefore, should be able to enter into closing transactions if necessary. The Fund currently will not engage in OTC options transactions if the amount invested by a Fund in OTC options plus a "liquidity charge" related to OTC options written by the Fund, plus the amount invested by the Fund in illiquid securities, would exceed 10% of the Fund's net assets. The "liquidity charge" referred to above is computed as described below.

The Fund anticipates entering into agreements with dealers to which the Fund sells OTC options. Under these agreements the Fund would have the absolute right to repurchase the OTC options from the dealer at any time at a price no greater than a price established under the agreements (the "Repurchase Price"). The "liquidity charge" referred to above for a specific OTC option transaction will be the Repurchase Price related to the OTC option less the intrinsic value of the OTC option. The intrinsic value of an OTC call option for such purposes will be the amount by which the current market value of the underlying security exceeds the exercise price. In the case of an OTC put option, intrinsic value will be the amount by which the exercise price exceeds the current market value of the underlying security. If there is no such agreement requiring a dealer to allow the Fund to repurchase a specific OTC option written by the Fund, the "liquidity charge" will be the current market value of the assets serving as "cover" for such OTC option.

PREFERRED STOCK, WARRANTS, AND RIGHTS. The Fund may invest in preferred stock, warrants and rights. Preferred stocks are securities that represent an ownership interest providing the holder with claims on the issuer's earnings and assets before common stockholders, but after bond holders and other creditors. Unlike debt securities, the obligations of an issuer of preferred stock, including dividend and other payment obligations, may not typically be accelerated by the holders of such preferred stock on the occurrence of an event of default or other non-compliance by the issuer of the preferred stock. Investments in preferred stock present market and liquidity risks. The value of a preferred stock may be highly sensitive to the economic condition of the issuer, and markets for preferred stock may be less liquid than the market for the issuer's common stock.

Warrants are options to buy a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price at any time during the life of the warrant. Rights represent a privilege offered to holders of record of issued securities to subscribe (usually on a pro rata basis) for additional securities of the same class, of a different class or of a different issuer. The holders of warrants and rights have no voting rights, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer. The value of a warrant or right may not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities. Warrants and rights cease to have value if they are not exercised prior to their expiration date. Investments in warrants and rights are thus speculative and may result in a total loss of the money invested.

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with respect to securities. A repurchase agreement is a transaction by which the purchaser acquires a security and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the seller (a bank or securities dealer) at an agreed-upon price on an agreed-upon date. The resale price reflects the purchase price plus an agreed-upon market rate of interest that is unrelated to the coupon rate or date of maturity of the purchased security. The Fund requires at all times that the repurchase agreement be collateralized by cash or U.S. Government securities, its agencies, its instrumentalities, or U.S. Government sponsored enterprises securities ("U.S. Government Securities"), having a value equal to, or in excess of, the value of the repurchase agreement (including accrued interest). Such agreements permit the Fund to keep all of its assets at work while retaining flexibility in pursuit of investments of a longer term nature.

The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the seller of the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying securities at a time when the value of these securities has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of them. Even though the repurchase agreements may have maturities of seven days or less, they may lack liquidity, especially if the issuer encounters financial difficulties. The Fund intends to limit repurchase agreements to transactions with dealers and financial institutions believed by Lord Abbett, as the investment manager, to present minimal credit risks. Lord Abbett will monitor the creditworthiness of the repurchase agreement sellers on an ongoing basis.

REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund sells a security to a securities dealer or bank for cash and also agrees to repurchase the same security later at a set price. Reverse repurchase agreements expose the Fund to credit risk (that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to resell the security to the Fund). This risk is greatly reduced because the Fund receives cash equal to 100% of the price of the security sold. Engaging in reverse repurchase agreements may also involve the use of leverage, in that the Fund may reinvest the cash it receives in additional securities. The Fund will attempt to minimize this risk by managing its duration. The Fund's reverse repurchase agreements will not exceed 20% of its net assets.

SECURITIES LENDING. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to registered broker-dealers. These loans may not exceed 30% of the Fund's total assets. Securities loans will be collateralized by cash or marketable securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government Securities or other permissible means at least equal to 102% of the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund may pay a part of the interest received with respect to the investment of collateral to a borrower and/or a third party that is not affiliated with the Fund and is acting as a "placing broker." No fee will be paid to affiliated persons of the Fund.

By lending portfolio securities, the Fund can increase income by continuing to receive interest or dividends on the loaned securities as well as by either investing the cash collateral in permissible investments, such as U.S. Government Securities, or obtaining yield in the form of interest paid by the borrower when U.S. Government Securities or other forms of non-cash collateral are received. Lending portfolio securities could result in a loss or delay in recovering the Fund's securities if the borrower defaults.

SHORT SALES. The Fund may make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, if at all times when a short position is open the Fund owns an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further consideration, for an equal amount of the securities of the same issuer as the securities sold short. The Fund does not intend to have more than 5% of its net assets (determined at the time of the short sale) subject to short sales.

SWAPS. The Fund may enter into swaps relating to indexes, currencies, interest rates, equity and debt interests of foreign issuers without limit. A swap transaction is an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty to act in accordance with the terms of the swap contract. Index swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of the respective amounts payable with respect to a notional principal amount related to one or more indexes. Currency swaps involve the exchange of cash flows on a notional amount of two or more currencies based on their relative future values. An equity swap is an agreement to exchange streams of payments computed by reference to a notional amount based on the performance of a basket of stocks or single stock. The Fund may enter into these transactions to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its assets, to protect against currency fluctuations, or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. Swaps have risks associated with them including possible default by the counterparty to the transaction, illiquidity and, where swaps are used as hedges, the risk that the use of a swap could result in losses greater than if the swap had not been employed.

The Fund will usually enter into swaps on a net basis (i.e. the two payments streams are netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the agreement, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). Swaps do not involve the delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swaps is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the counterparty to a swap defaults, the Fund's risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. Where swaps are entered into for good faith hedging purposes, and Lord Abbett believes such obligations do not constitute senior securities under the Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund's borrowing restrictions. Where swaps are entered into for other than hedging purposes, the Fund will segregate an amount of cash or liquid securities having a value equal to the accrued excess of its obligations over entitlements with respect to each swap on a daily basis.

TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE INVESTMENTS. As described in the Prospectus, the Fund is authorized to temporarily invest a substantial amount, or even all, of its assets in various short-term fixed-income securities to take a defensive position. These securities include:

- U.S. Government Securities. These securities include Treasury bills, notes and bonds.

- Commercial paper. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations to finance short-term credit needs. Commercial paper is issued in bearer form with maturities generally not exceeding nine months. Commercial paper obligations may include variable amount master demand notes.
- Bank certificates of deposit and time deposits. Certificates of deposit are certificates issued against funds deposited in a bank or a savings and loan. They are issued for a definite period of time and earn a specified rate of return.
- Bankers' acceptances. Bankers' acceptances are short-term credit instruments evidencing the obligation of a bank to pay a draft that has been drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect the obligations both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the face amount of the instrument upon maturity. They are primarily used to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are "accepted" when a bank guarantees their payment at maturity.
- Repurchase agreements.
- Comparable foreign fixed income securities.

WHEN-ISSUED OR FORWARD TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may purchase portfolio securities on a when-issued or forward basis. When-issued or forward transactions involve a commitment by the Fund to purchase securities, with payment and delivery ("settlement") to take place in the future, in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price or yield at the time of entering into the transaction. The value of fixed-income securities to be delivered in the future will fluctuate as interest rates vary. During the period between purchase and settlement, the value of the securities will fluctuate and assets consisting of cash and/or marketable securities (normally short-term U.S. Government Securities) marked to market daily in an amount sufficient to make payment at settlement will be segregated at the Fund's custodian in order to pay for the commitment. There is a risk that market yields available at settlement may be higher than yields obtained on the purchase date which could result in depreciation of the value of fixed-income when-issued securities. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security on a when-issued basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the liability for the purchase and the value of the security in determining its net asset value. The Fund, generally, has the ability to close out a purchase obligation on or before the settlement date rather than take delivery of the security. Under no circumstances will settlement for such securities take place more than 120 days after the purchase date.

3.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PORTFOLIO RISKS, INVESTMENTS, AND TECHNIQUES. This section provides further information on certain types of investments and investment techniques that may be used by the Fund, including their associated risks.

BORROWING MONEY. The Fund may borrow money for certain purposes as described above under "Fundamental Investment Restrictions." If the Fund borrows money and experiences a decline in its net asset value, the borrowing will increase its losses.

BRADY BONDS. The Fund may invest in so-called "Brady Bonds," which are securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to public and private entities for new bonds in connection with debt restructuring under a debt restructuring plan announced by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Nicholas F. Brady. Brady Bonds may be collateralized or uncollateralized, are issued in various currencies (primarily the U.S. dollar) and are currently actively traded in the over the counter secondary market for debt instruments. Brady Bonds do not have a long payment history and are subject to, among other things, the risk of default. In light of the history of commercial bank loan defaults by Latin American public and private entities, investment in Brady Bonds may be viewed as speculative.

Dollar-denominated, collateralized Brady Bonds, which may be fixed rate par bonds or floating rate discount bonds, are collateralized in full as to principal by U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds having the same maturity as the bonds. Interest payment on these Brady Bonds generally are collateralized by cash or securities in the amount that, in the case of fixed rate bonds, is equal to at least one year of rolling interest payments or, in the case of floating rate bonds, initially is equal to at least one year's rolling interest payments based on the applicable interest rate at that time and is adjusted at regular intervals thereafter.

Brady Bonds are often viewed as having three or four valuation components: the collateralized repayment of principal at final maturity; the collateralized interest payments; the uncollateralized interest payments; and any uncollateralized repayment of principal at maturity (these uncollateralized amounts constituting the "residual risk").

CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities are preferred stocks or debt obligations that are convertible into common stock. Generally, convertible securities offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality and less potential for gains or capital appreciation in a rising stock market than equity securities. They tend to be more volatile than other fixed income securities, and the markets for convertible securities may be less liquid than markets for common stocks or bonds. Convertible securities have both equity and fixed income risk characteristics. Like all fixed income securities, the value of convertible securities is susceptible to the risk of market losses attributable to changes in interest rates. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase. If, however, the market price of the common stock underlying a convertible security approaches or exceeds the conversion price of the convertible security, the convertible security tends to reflect the market price of the underlying common stock. In such a case, a convertible security may lose much or all of its value if the value of the underlying common stock then falls below the conversion price of the security. As the market price of the underlying common stock declines, the convertible security tends to trade increasingly based on its fixed income characteristics, and thus, may not necessarily decline in price as much as the underlying common stock.

DEBT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in debt securities, such as bonds, debentures, government obligations, commercial paper and pass-through instruments. The value of debt securities may fluctuate based on changes in interest rates and the issuer's financial condition. When interest rates rise or the issuer's financial condition worsens or is perceived by the market to be at greater risk, the value of debt securities tends to decline.

DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. The Fund may invest in American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and similar depositary receipts. ADRs, typically issued by a financial institution (a "depositary"), evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities issued by a foreign company and deposited with the depositary. Prices of ADRs are quoted in U.S. dollars, and ADRs are traded in the United States. Ownership of ADRs entails similar investment risks to direct ownership of foreign securities traded outside the U.S., including increased market, liquidity, currency, political, information, and other risks.

EMERGING COUNTRIES. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in emerging country securities. Lord Abbett considers emerging markets to be those included in the MSCI Emerging Market Free Index. The securities markets of emerging countries tend to be less liquid, especially subject to greater price volatility, have a smaller market capitalization, have less government regulation and not to be subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements as securities issued in more developed countries. Further, investing in the securities of issuers located in certain emerging countries may present a greater risk of loss resulting from problems in security registration and custody or substantial economic or political disruptions.

FOREIGN CURRENCY OPTIONS. The Fund may take positions in options on foreign currencies to hedge against the risk that foreign exchange rate fluctuations will affect the value of foreign securities the Fund holds in its portfolio or intends to purchase. For example, if the Fund were to enter into a contract to purchase securities denominated in a foreign currency, it could effectively fix the maximum U.S. dollar cost of the securities by purchasing call options on that foreign currency. Similarly, if the Fund held securities denominated in a foreign currency and anticipated a decline in the value of that currency against the U.S. dollar, it could hedge against such a decline by purchasing a put option on the currency involved. The Fund's ability to establish and close out positions in such options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid secondary market. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time. In addition, options on foreign currencies are affected by all of those factors that influence foreign exchange rates and investments generally.

Transaction costs may be higher because the quantities of currencies underlying option contracts that the Fund may enter represent odd lots in a market dominated by transactions between banks.

There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or any regulatory requirement that quotations be firm or revised on a timely basis. Quotation information is generally representative of very large transactions in the interbank market and may not reflect smaller transactions where rates may be less favorable. Option markets may be closed while round-the-clock interbank currency markets are open, and this can create price and rate discrepancies.

The Fund may effectively terminate its rights or obligations under options by entering into closing transactions. Closing transactions permit the Fund to realize profits or limit losses on its options positions prior to the exercise or expiration of the option. The value of a foreign currency option depends on the value of the underlying currency relative to the U.S. dollar. Other factors affecting the value of an option are the time remaining until expiration, the relationship of the exercise price to market price, the historical price volatility of the underlying currency and general market conditions. As a result, changes in the value of an option position may have no relationship to the investment merit of the foreign currency. Whether a profit or loss is realized on a closing transaction depends on the price movement of the underlying currency and the market value of the option.

Options normally have expiration dates of up to nine months. The exercise price may be below, equal to or above the current market value of the underlying currency. Options that expire unexercised have no value, and the Fund will realize a loss of any premium paid and any transaction costs. Although the Fund intends to enter into foreign currency options only with dealers which agree to enter into, and which are expected to be capable of entering into, closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate an option at a favorable price at any time prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counter-party, the Fund may be unable to liquidate a foreign currency option. Accordingly, it may not be possible to effect closing transactions with respect to certain options, with the result that the Fund would have to exercise those options that it had purchased in order to realize any profit.

FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS. The Fund engages in spot transactions and may use forward contracts to protect against uncertainty in the level of future exchange rates.

The Fund may enter into forward contracts with respect to specific transactions. For example, when the Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, or when the Fund anticipates the receipt in a foreign currency of dividend or interest payments on a security that it holds, the Fund may desire to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of the security or the U.S. dollar equivalent of the payment, by entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars or foreign currency, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transaction. The Fund will thereby be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the currency exchange rates during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received.

The Fund also may use forward contracts in connection with existing portfolio positions to lock in the U.S. dollar value of those positions, to increase the Fund's exposure to foreign currencies that Lord Abbett believes may rise in value relative to the U.S. dollar or to shift the Fund's exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. For example, when Lord Abbett believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may suffer a substantial decline relative to the U.S. dollar or another currency, it may enter into a forward contract to sell the amount of the former foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of the Fund's portfolio securities denominated in such foreign currency. This investment practice generally is referred to as "cross-hedging" when another foreign currency is used.

The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. Accordingly, it may be necessary for the Fund to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot (that is, cash) market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security is less than the amount of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver and if a decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received upon the sale of the portfolio security if its market value exceeds the amount of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain. Forward contracts involve the risk that anticipated currency movements may not be accurately predicted, causing the Fund to sustain losses on these contracts and transaction costs.

At or before the maturity date of a forward contract that requires the Fund to sell a currency, the Fund may either sell a portfolio security and use the sale proceeds to make delivery of the currency or retain the security and offset its contractual obligation to deliver the currency by purchasing a second contract pursuant to which the Fund will obtain, on the same maturity date, the same amount of the currency that it is obligated to deliver. Similarly, the Fund may close out a forward contract requiring it to purchase a specified currency by entering into a second contract entitling it to sell the

same amount of the same currency on the maturity date of the first contract. The Fund would realize a gain or loss as a result of entering into such an offsetting forward contract under either circumstance to the extent the exchange rate between the currencies involved moved between the execution dates of the first and second contracts.

The cost to the Fund of engaging in forward contracts varies with factors such as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. The use of forward contracts does not eliminate fluctuations in the prices of the underlying securities the Fund owns or intends to acquire, but it does fix a rate of exchange in advance. In addition, although forward contracts limit the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currencies, at the same time they limit any potential gain that might result should the value of the currencies increase.

FOREIGN SECURITIES. As described in the Prospectus, the Fund primarily invests in foreign securities. Foreign securities may involve special risks that are not typically associated with U.S. dollar denominated or quoted securities of U.S. issuers, including the following:

- Foreign securities may be affected by changes in currency rates, changes in foreign or U.S. laws or restrictions applicable to foreign securities and changes in exchange control regulations (i.e., currency blockage). A decline in the exchange rate of the foreign currency in which a portfolio security is quoted or denominated relative to the U.S. dollar would reduce the value of the portfolio security in U.S. dollars.
- Brokerage commissions, custodial services, and other costs relating to investment in foreign securities markets generally are more expensive than in the U.S.
- Clearance and settlement procedures may be different in foreign countries and, in certain markets, such procedures may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, thus making it difficult to conduct such transactions.
- Foreign issuers are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. There may be less publicly available information about a foreign issuer than about a comparable U.S. issuer.
- There is generally less government regulation of foreign markets, companies and securities dealers than in the U.S.
- Foreign securities markets may have substantially less volume than U.S. securities markets, and securities of many foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic issuers.
- Foreign securities may trade on days when the Fund does not sell shares. As a result, the value of the Fund's portfolio securities may change on days an investor may not be able to purchase or redeem Fund shares.
- With respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, imposition of withholding or other taxes on dividend or interest payments (or, in some cases, capital gains), limitations on the removal of funds or other assets of the Fund, and political or social instability or diplomatic developments that could affect investments in those countries. In addition, the Fund may invest in less developed countries, sometimes referred to as emerging markets. The risks of investing in foreign markets are generally more severe in emerging markets.

FUTURES CONTRACTS AND OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS. The Fund may engage in futures and options on futures transactions in accordance with its investment objective and policies.

Futures contracts are standardized contracts that provide for the sale or purchase of a specified financial instrument at a future time at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right (and the writer of the option the obligation) to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price within a specified period of time. In addition to incurring fees in connection with futures and options, an investor is required to maintain margin deposits. At the time of entering into a futures transaction or writing an option, an investor is required to deposit a specified amount of cash or eligible securities called "initial margin." Subsequent payments, called "variation margin," are made on a daily basis as the market price of the futures contract or option fluctuates.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts, and purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts for bona fide hedging purposes, including to hedge against changes in interest rates, securities prices, or to the extent the Fund invests in foreign securities, currency exchange rates, or in order to pursue risk management strategies, including gaining efficient exposure to markets and minimizing transaction costs. The Fund may also enter into closing purchase and sale transactions with respect to such contracts and options. The Fund may not purchase or sell futures contracts, options on futures contracts, or options on currencies traded on a CFTC-regulated exchange for non bona fide hedging

purposes if the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions would exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund's portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on any such contracts it has entered into.

Futures contracts and options on futures contracts present substantial risks, including the following:

- While the Fund may benefit from the use of futures and related options, unanticipated market events may result in poorer overall performance than if the Fund had not entered into any futures or related options transactions.
- Because perfect correlation between a futures position and a portfolio position that the Fund intends to hedge is impossible to achieve, a hedge may not work as intended, and the Fund may thus be exposed to additional risk of loss.
- The loss that the Fund may incur in entering into futures contracts and in writing call options on futures is potentially unlimited and may exceed the amount of the premium received.
- Futures markets are highly volatile, and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund's net asset value.
- As a result of the low margin deposits normally required in futures and options on futures trading, a relatively small price movement in a contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund.
- Futures contracts and related options may be illiquid, and exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices during a single day.
- The counterparty to an OTC contract may fail to perform its obligations under the contract.

STOCK INDEX FUTURES. Although the Fund has no current intention of doing so, it may seek to reduce the volatility in its portfolio through the use of stock index futures contracts. A stock index futures contract is an agreement pursuant to which two parties agree, one to receive and the other to pay, on a specified date an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount -- established by an exchange or board of trade -- times the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally written. The purchaser pays no consideration at the time the contract is entered into; the purchaser only pays a good faith deposit.

The market value of a stock index futures contract is based primarily on the value of the underlying index. Changes in the value of the index will cause roughly corresponding changes in the market price of the futures contract. If a stock index is established that is made up of securities whose market characteristics closely parallel the market characteristics of the securities in the Fund's portfolio, then the market value of a futures contract on that index should fluctuate in a way closely resembling the market fluctuation of the portfolio. Thus, if the Fund sells futures contracts, a decline in the market value of the portfolio will be offset by an increase in the value of the short futures position to the extent of the hedge (i.e., the size of the futures position). Conversely, when the Fund has cash available (for example, through substantial sales of shares) and wishes to invest the cash in anticipation of a rising market, the Fund could rapidly hedge against the expected market increase by buying futures contracts to offset the cash position and thus cushion the adverse effect of attempting to buy individual securities in a rising market. Stock index futures contracts are subject to the same risks as other futures contracts discussed above under "Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts." To date, the Fund has not entered into any stock index futures contracts and has no present intention to do so.

ILLIQUID SECURITIES. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities that cannot be disposed of in seven days in the ordinary course of business at fair value. Illiquid securities include:

- Domestic and foreign securities that are not readily marketable.
- Repurchase agreements and time deposits with a notice or demand period of more than seven days.
- Certain restricted securities, unless Lord Abbett determines, subject to the oversight of the Board, based upon a review of the trading markets for a specific restricted security, that such restricted security is eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A ("144A Securities") and is liquid.

144A Securities may be resold to a qualified institutional buyer without registration and without regard to whether the seller originally purchased the security for investment. Investing in 144A Securities may decrease the liquidity of the Fund's portfolio to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become for a time uninterested in purchasing these securities. The purchase price and subsequent valuation of restricted and illiquid securities normally reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a liquid market exists.

INVESTMENT COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies subject to limitations prescribed by the Act. These limitations include a prohibition on the Fund acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any other investment company, and a prohibition on investing more than 5% of the Fund's total assets in securities of any one investment company or more than 10% of its total assets in securities of all investment companies. The Fund indirectly will bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by the investment companies in which it invests. Such investment companies will generally be money market funds or have investment objectives, policies and restrictions substantially similar to those of the Fund and will be subject to substantially the same risks.

The Fund may, consistent with its investment policies, invest in investment companies established to accumulate and hold a portfolio of securities that is intended to track the price performance and dividend yield of a well-known securities index. The Fund may use such investment company securities for several reasons, including, but not limited to, facilitating the handling of cash flows or trading, or reducing transaction costs. The price movement of such securities may not perfectly parallel the price movement of the underlying index. An example of this type of security is the Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipt, commonly known as a "SPDR."

The Fund may invest in foreign countries through investment companies. Some emerging countries have laws and regulations that currently preclude direct foreign investments in the securities of their companies. However, indirect foreign investment in the securities of such countries is permitted through investment funds that have been specifically authorized. In addition to the additional fees associated with such indirect investments, these investments are subject to the risks of investing in foreign securities.

REITS. The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), which are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in income-producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. Like regulated investment companies, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). By investing in a REIT, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by the REIT in addition to the expenses of the Fund.

Investing in REITs involves certain risks. A REIT may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by such REIT or by the quality of any credit extended by the REIT. REITs are dependent on management skills, are not diversified (except to the extent the Code requires), and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers, self-liquidation, the possibilities of failing to qualify for the exemption from tax for distributed income under the Code and failing to maintain their exemptions from the 1940 Act. REITs are also subject to interest rate risks.

LISTED OPTIONS ON SECURITIES. The Fund may purchase and write national and international securities exchange-listed put and call options on securities or securities indices. A "call option" is a contract sold for a price giving its holder the right to buy a specific amount of securities at a specific price prior to a specified date. A "covered call option" is a call option issued on securities already owned by the writer of the call option for delivery to the holder upon the exercise of the option. The Fund may write covered call options that are traded on a national or international securities exchange with respect to securities in its portfolio in an attempt to increase income and to provide greater flexibility in the disposition of portfolio securities. During the period of the option, the Fund forgoes the opportunity to profit from any increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option (to the extent that the increase exceeds its net premium). The Fund may also enter into "closing purchase transactions" in order to terminate its obligation to deliver the underlying security. This may result in a short-term gain or loss. A closing purchase transaction is the purchase of a call option (at a cost which may be more or less than the premium received for writing the original call option) on the same security, with the same exercise price and call period as the option previously written. If the Fund is unable to enter into a closing purchase transaction, it may be required to hold a security that it might otherwise have sold to protect against depreciation.

A "put option" gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and obligates the writer to buy, the underlying securities at the exercise price at any time during the option period. A put option sold by the Fund is covered when, among other things, the Fund segregates permissible liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than the exercise price of the option to fulfill the obligation undertaken. Writing listed put options may be a useful portfolio investment strategy when the Fund has cash or other reserves available for investment as a result of sales of Fund shares or when the investment manager believes a more defensive and less fully invested position is desirable in light of market conditions. The Fund

will not purchase an option if, as a result of such purchase, more than 10% of its total assets would be invested in premiums for such options. The Fund may write covered put options to the extent that cover for such options does not exceed 15% of its net assets. The Fund may only sell (write) covered call options with respect to securities having an aggregate market value of less than 25% of its net assets at the time an option is written.

The purchase and writing of options is a highly specialized activity that involves special investment risks. The Fund may use options for hedging or cross-hedging purposes, or to seek to increase total return (which is considered a speculative activity). If Lord Abbett is incorrect in its expectation of changes in market prices or determination of the correlation between the securities on which options are based and the Fund's portfolio securities, the Fund may incur losses. The use of options can also increase the Fund's transaction costs.

LOWER-RATED DEBT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in lower-rated debt securities (also referred to as "junk bonds") that are rated BB/Ba or lower and may pay a higher yield, but entail greater risks, than investment grade debt securities. When compared to investment grade debt securities, lower-rated debt securities:

- have a higher risk of default and their prices can be much more volatile due to lower liquidity;
- tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes; and
- pose a greater risk that exercise of any of their redemption or call provisions in a declining market may result in their replacement by lower-yielding bonds.

In addition, while the market for lower-rated, corporate debt securities has been in existence for many years, the market in recent years experienced a dramatic increase in the large-scale use of such securities to fund highly-leveraged corporate acquisitions and restructurings. Accordingly, past experience may not provide an accurate indication of future performance of this market, especially during periods of economic recession.

Since the risk of default is higher among lower-rated debt securities, Lord Abbett's research and analyses is an important ingredient in the selection of such securities. Through portfolio diversification, good credit analysis and attention to current developments and trends in interest rates and economic conditions, the Fund seeks to reduce this risk. There can be no assurance, however, that this risk will in fact be reduced and that losses will not occur. The Fund does not have any minimum rating criteria applicable to the fixed-income securities in which it invests.

MORTGAGE-RELATED SECURITIES. The mortgage- and asset-backed securities in which the Fund may invest may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates. Like other debt securities, when interest rates rise, the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities generally will decline; however, when interest rates are declining, the value of mortgage-related securities with prepayment features may not increase as much as other fixed income securities. Early repayment of principal on some mortgage-related securities may deprive the Fund of income payments above current market rates. The rate of prepayments on underlying mortgages also will affect the price and volatility of a mortgage-related security. The value of some mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities may fluctuate in response to the market's perception of the creditworthiness of the issuers. Additionally, although mortgages and mortgage-related securities are generally supported by some form of government or private guarantee and/or insurance, there is no assurance that private guarantors or insurers will meet their obligations.

OVER-THE-COUNTER OPTIONS. The Fund may enter over-the-counter options contracts ("OTC options"). OTC options differ from exchange-traded options in several respects. OTC options are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation and there is a risk of nonperformance by the dealer as a result of the insolvency of the dealer or otherwise, in which event, the Fund may experience material losses. However, in writing OTC options, the premium is paid in advance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities, and a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices, than are exchange-traded options. Since there is no exchange, pricing normally is done by reference to information from market makers, which information is carefully monitored by Lord Abbett and verified in appropriate cases.

A writer or purchaser of a put or call option can terminate it voluntarily only by entering into a closing transaction. In the case of OTC options, there can be no assurance that a continuous liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option at any given time. Consequently, the Fund may be able to realize the value of an OTC option it has purchased only by exercising it or entering into a closing sale transaction with the dealer that issued it. Similarly, when the Fund writes an OTC option, generally it can close out that option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer to which the Fund originally wrote it. If a covered call option writer cannot effect a closing

transaction, it cannot sell the underlying security until the option expires or the option is exercised. Therefore, a covered call option writer of an OTC option may not be able to sell an underlying security even though it might otherwise be advantageous to do so. Likewise, a secured put writer of an OTC option may be unable to sell the securities pledged to secure the put for other investment purposes while it is obligated as a put writer. Similarly, a purchaser of such put or call option also might find it difficult to terminate its position on a timely basis in the absence of a secondary market.

The Fund and Lord Abbett believe that such dealers present minimal credit risks to the Fund and, therefore, should be able to enter into closing transactions if necessary. The Fund currently will not engage in OTC options transactions if the amount invested by a Fund in OTC options plus a "liquidity charge" related to OTC options written by the Fund, plus the amount invested by the Fund in illiquid securities, would exceed 10% of the Fund's net assets. The "liquidity charge" referred to above is computed as described below.

The Fund anticipates entering into agreements with dealers to which the Fund sells OTC options. Under these agreements the Fund would have the absolute right to repurchase the OTC options from the dealer at any time at a price no greater than a price established under the agreements (the "Repurchase Price"). The "liquidity charge" referred to above for a specific OTC option transaction will be the Repurchase Price related to the OTC option less the intrinsic value of the OTC option. The intrinsic value of an OTC call option for such purposes will be the amount by which the current market value of the underlying security exceeds the exercise price. In the case of an OTC put option, intrinsic value will be the amount by which the exercise price exceeds the current market value of the underlying security. If there is no such agreement requiring a dealer to allow the Fund to repurchase a specific OTC option written by the Fund, the "liquidity charge" will be the current market value of the assets serving as "cover" for such OTC option.

PREFERRED STOCK, WARRANTS, AND RIGHTS. The Fund may invest in preferred stock, warrants and rights. Preferred stocks are securities that represent an ownership interest providing the holder with claims on the issuer's earnings and assets before common stockholders, but after bond holders and other creditors. Unlike debt securities, the obligations of an issuer of preferred stock, including dividend and other payment obligations, may not typically be accelerated by the holders of such preferred stock on the occurrence of an event of default or other non-compliance by the issuer of the preferred stock. Investments in preferred stock present market and liquidity risks. The value of a preferred stock may be highly sensitive to the economic condition of the issuer, and markets for preferred stock may be less liquid than the market for the issuer's common stock.

Warrants are options to buy a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price at any time during the life of the warrant. Rights represent a privilege offered to holders of record of issued securities to subscribe (usually on a pro rata basis) for additional securities of the same class, of a different class or of a different issuer. The holders of warrants and rights have no voting rights, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer. The value of a warrant or right may not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities. Warrants and rights cease to have value if they are not exercised prior to their expiration date. Investments in warrants and rights are thus speculative and may result in a total loss of the money invested.

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with respect to securities. A repurchase agreement is a transaction by which the purchaser acquires a security and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the seller (a bank or securities dealer) at an agreed-upon price on an agreed-upon date. The resale price reflects the purchase price plus an agreed-upon market rate of interest that is unrelated to the coupon rate or date of maturity of the purchased security. The Fund requires at all times that the repurchase agreement be collateralized by cash or U.S. Government securities, its agencies, its instrumentalities, or U.S. Government sponsored enterprises securities ("U.S. Government Securities"), having a value equal to, or in excess of, the value of the repurchase agreement (including accrued interest). Such agreements permit the Fund to keep all of its assets at work while retaining flexibility in pursuit of investments of a longer term nature.

The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the seller of the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying securities at a time when the value of these securities has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of them. Even though the repurchase agreements may have maturities of seven days or less, they may lack liquidity, especially if the issuer encounters financial difficulties. The Fund intends to limit repurchase agreements to transactions with dealers and financial institutions believed by Lord Abbett, as the investment manager, to present minimal credit risks. Lord Abbett will monitor the creditworthiness of the repurchase agreement sellers on an ongoing basis.

REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund sells a security to a securities dealer or bank for cash and also agrees to repurchase the same security later at a set price. Reverse repurchase agreements expose the Fund to credit risk (that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to resell the security to the Fund). This risk is greatly reduced because the Fund receives cash equal to 100% of the price of the security sold. Engaging in reverse repurchase agreements may also involve the use of leverage, in that the Fund may reinvest the cash it receives in additional securities. The Fund will attempt to minimize this risk by managing its duration. The Fund's reverse repurchase agreements will not exceed 20% of its net assets.

SECURITIES LENDING. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to registered broker-dealers. These loans may not exceed 30% of the Fund's total assets. Securities loans will be collateralized by cash or marketable securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government Securities or other permissible means at least equal to 102% of the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund may pay a part of the interest received with respect to the investment of collateral to a borrower and/or a third party that is not affiliated with the Fund and is acting as a "placing broker." No fee will be paid to affiliated persons of the Fund.

By lending portfolio securities, the Fund can increase income by continuing to receive interest or dividends on the loaned securities as well as by either investing the cash collateral in permissible investments, such as U.S. Government Securities, or obtaining yield in the form of interest paid by the borrower when U.S. Government Securities or other forms of non-cash collateral are received. Lending portfolio securities could result in a loss or delay in recovering the Fund's securities if the borrower defaults.

SHORT SALES. The Fund may make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, if at all times when a short position is open the Fund owns an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further consideration, for an equal amount of the securities of the same issuer as the securities sold short. The Fund does not intend to have more than 5% of its net assets (determined at the time of the short sale) subject to short sales.

SWAPS. The Fund may enter into swaps relating to indexes, currencies, interest rates, equity and debt interests of foreign issuers without limit. A swap transaction is an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty to act in accordance with the terms of the swap contract. Index swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of the respective amounts payable with respect to a notional principal amount related to one or more indexes. Currency swaps involve the exchange of cash flows on a notional amount of two or more currencies based on their relative future values. An equity swap is an agreement to exchange streams of payments computed by reference to a notional amount based on the performance of a basket of stocks or single stock. The Fund may enter into these transactions to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its assets, to protect against currency fluctuations, or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. Swaps have risks associated with them including possible default by the counterparty to the transaction, illiquidity and, where swaps are used as hedges, the risk that the use of a swap could result in losses greater than if the swap had not been employed.

The Fund will usually enter into swaps on a net basis (i.e. the two payments streams are netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the agreement, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). Swaps do not involve the delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swaps is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the counterparty to a swap defaults, the Fund's risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. Where swaps are entered into for good faith hedging purposes, and Lord Abbett believes such obligations do not constitute senior securities under the Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund's borrowing restrictions. Where swaps are entered into for other than hedging purposes, the Fund will segregate an amount of cash or liquid securities having a value equal to the accrued excess of its obligations over entitlements with respect to each swap on a daily basis.

TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE INVESTMENTS. As described in the Prospectus, the Fund is authorized to temporarily invest a substantial amount, or even all, of its assets in various short-term fixed-income securities to take a defensive position. These securities include:

- U.S. Government Securities. These securities include Treasury bills, notes and bonds.

- Commercial paper. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations to finance short-term credit needs. Commercial paper is issued in bearer form with maturities generally not exceeding nine months. Commercial paper obligations may include variable amount master demand notes.
- Bank certificates of deposit and time deposits. Certificates of deposit are certificates issued against funds deposited in a bank or a savings and loan. They are issued for a definite period of time and earn a specified rate of return.
- Bankers' acceptances. Bankers' acceptances are short-term credit instruments evidencing the obligation of a bank to pay a draft that has been drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect the obligations both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the face amount of the instrument upon maturity. They are primarily used to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are "accepted" when a bank guarantees their payment at maturity.
- Repurchase agreements.
- Comparable foreign fixed income securities.

WHEN-ISSUED OR FORWARD TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may purchase portfolio securities on a when-issued or forward basis. When-issued or forward transactions involve a commitment by the Fund to purchase securities, with payment and delivery ("settlement") to take place in the future, in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price or yield at the time of entering into the transaction. The value of fixed-income securities to be delivered in the future will fluctuate as interest rates vary. During the period between purchase and settlement, the value of the securities will fluctuate and assets consisting of cash and/or marketable securities (normally short-term U.S. Government Securities) marked to market daily in an amount sufficient to make payment at settlement will be segregated at the Fund's custodian in order to pay for the commitment. There is a risk that market yields available at settlement may be higher than yields obtained on the purchase date which could result in depreciation of the value of fixed-income when-issued securities. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security on a when-issued basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the liability for the purchase and the value of the security in determining its net asset value. The Fund, generally, has the ability to close out a purchase obligation on or before the settlement date rather than take delivery of the security. Under no circumstances will settlement for such securities take place more than 120 days after the purchase date.

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