Description of the LifePath Portfolios and their Investments and Risks

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES. The Trust is an open-end, series management investment company. There are six Master Portfolios in which the LifePath Portfolios invest, each of which is a series of MIP. The Master Portfolios in which the LifePath Portfolios invest are diversified funds as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). Organizations and other entities such as the LifePath Portfolios that hold beneficial interests in a Master Portfolio may be referred to herein as "feeder funds."

Each LifePath Portfolio has adopted a non-fundamental investment objective, and investment policies that may be fundamental or non-fundamental. Fundamental policies cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of such LifePath Portfolio. Non-fundamental policies may be changed without shareholder approval by vote of a majority of the trustees of the Trust (the "Trustees") at any time.

Each LifePath Portfolio has adopted a non-fundamental investment objective that is set forth in its Prospectus. The investment objective and policies of a LifePath Portfolio determine the allocation of assets to the Underlying Funds, the degree of risk to which the LifePath Portfolio is subject and, ultimately, its performance. As with all investment companies, there can be no assurance that the investment objective of any LifePath Portfolio will be achieved.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS.

FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS. The LifePath Portfolios are subject to the following investment restrictions, all of which are fundamental policies. Each LifePath Portfolio may not:

(1) Purchase the securities of issuers conducting their principal business activity in the same industry if, immediately after the purchase and as a result thereof, the value of a Portfolio's investments in that industry would equal or exceed 25% of the current value of the Portfolio's total assets, provided that this restriction does not limit a Portfolio's: (i) investments in securities of other investment companies, (ii) investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or (iii) investments in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities;.

(2) Purchase the securities of any single issuer if, as a result, with respect to 75% of a Portfolio's total assets, more than 5% of the value of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer or the Portfolio's ownership would be more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, provided that this restriction does not limit a Portfolio's cash or cash items, investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or investments in securities of other investment companies;

(3) Borrow money or issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, including the rules, regulations and any orders obtained thereunder;

(4) Make loans to other parties, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, including the rules, regulations and any orders obtained thereunder. For the purposes of this limitation, entering into repurchase agreements, lending securities and acquiring any debt securities are not deemed to be the making of loans;

(5) Underwrite securities of other issuers, except to the extent that the purchase of permitted investments directly from the issuer thereof or from an underwriter for an issuer and the later disposition of such securities in accordance with a Portfolio's investment program may be deemed to be an underwriting; and provided further, that the purchase by the Portfolio of securities issued by an open-end management investment company, or a series thereof, with substantially the same investment objective, policies and restrictions as the Portfolio shall not constitute an underwriting for purposes of this paragraph;

(6) Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business); and

(7) Purchase or sell commodities, provided that (i) currency will not be deemed to be a commodity for purposes of this restriction, (ii) this restriction does not limit the purchase or sale of futures contracts, forward contracts or options, and (iii) this restriction does not limit the purchase or sale of securities or other instruments backed by commodities or the purchase or sale of commodities acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments.

With respect to paragraph (3) above, the 1940 Act currently allows a LifePath Portfolio to borrow up to one-third of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) valued at the lesser of cost or market, less liabilities (not including the amount borrowed) at the time the borrowing is made. With respect to paragraph (4) above, the 1940 Act and regulatory interpretations currently limit the percentage of a LifePath Portfolio's securities that may be loaned to one-third of the value of its total assets.

NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS. The LifePath Portfolios are subject to the following investment restrictions, all of which are non-fundamental policies and may be changed without shareholder approval by vote of a majority of the Trustees at any time.

As a matter of non-fundamental policy:

(1) Each Portfolio may invest in shares of other open-end management investment companies, subject to the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, including the rules, regulations and exemptive orders obtained thereunder. Other investment companies in which the LifePath Portfolios invest can be expected to charge fees for operating expenses, such as investment advisory and administration fees, that would be in addition to those charged by a LifePath Portfolio;

(2) Each Portfolio may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. For this purpose, illiquid securities include, among others,
(i) securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale, (ii) fixed time deposits that are subject to withdrawal penalties and that have maturities of more than seven days, and (iii) repurchase agreements not terminable within seven days;

(3) Each Portfolio may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and financial institutions, in amounts not to

exceed (in the aggregate) one-third of a Portfolio's total assets. Any such loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily; and

(4) Each Portfolio may not purchase securities on margin, but each Portfolio may make margin deposits in connection with transactions in options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indexes, and options on futures contracts or indexes.

Notwithstanding any other investment policy or restriction (whether or not fundamental), each LifePath Portfolio may and does invest all of its assets in the securities of a single open-end management investment company with substantially the same fundamental investment objective, policies and limitations as the LifePath Portfolio. See "Management - Master/Feeder Structure." In addition, the Underlying Funds in which the LifePath Portfolios may invest have adopted certain investment restrictions that may be different from those listed above, thereby permitting the LifePath Portfolios to engage indirectly in investment strategies that are prohibited under the restrictions listed above. The investment restrictions of each Underlying Fund are set forth in its respective statement of additional information.

FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS OF THE MASTER PORTFOLIOS. The Master Portfolios have adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies. These restrictions cannot be changed, as to a Master Portfolio, without approval by the holders of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Master Portfolio's outstanding voting interests. The Master Portfolios may not:

(1) Purchase the securities of issuers conducting their principal business activity in the same industry if, immediately after the purchase and as a result thereof, the value of a Master Portfolio's investments in that industry would equal or exceed 25% of the current value of the Master Portfolio's total assets, provided that this restriction does not limit a Master Portfolio's: (i) investments in securities of other investment companies, (ii) investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or (iii) investments in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities;

(2) Purchase the securities of any single issuer if, as a result, with respect to 75% of a Master Portfolio's total assets, more than 5% of the value of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer or the Master Portfolio's ownership would be more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, provided that this restriction does not limit a Master Portfolio's cash or cash items, investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or investments in securities of other investment companies;

(3) Borrow money or issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, including the rules, regulations and any orders obtained thereunder;

(4) Make loans to other parties, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, including the rules, regulations and any orders obtained thereunder. For the purposes of this limitation, entering into repurchase agreements, lending securities and acquiring any debt securities are not deemed to be the making of loans;

(5) Underwrite securities of other issuers, except to the extent that the purchase of permitted investments directly from the issuer thereof or from an underwriter for an issuer and the later disposition of such securities in accordance with a Master Portfolio's investment program may be deemed to be an underwriting; and provided further, that the purchase by the Master Portfolio of securities issued by an open-end management investment company, or a series thereof, with substantially the same investment objective, policies and restrictions as the Master Portfolio shall not constitute an underwriting for purposes of this paragraph;

(6) Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Master Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business); and

(7) Purchase or sell commodities, provided that (i) currency will not be deemed to be a commodity for purposes of this restriction, (ii) this restriction does not limit the purchase or sale of futures contracts, forward contracts or options, and (iii) this restriction does not limit the purchase or sale of securities or other instruments backed by commodities or the purchase or sale of commodities acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments.

With respect to paragraph (3) above, the 1940 Act currently allows a Master Portfolio to borrow up to one-third of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) valued at the lesser of cost or market, less liabilities (not including the amount borrowed) at the time the borrowing is made. With respect to paragraph (4) above, the 1940 Act and regulatory interpretations currently limit the percentage of a Master Portfolio's securities that may be loaned to one-third of the value of its total assets.

NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS OF THE MASTER PORTFOLIOS. The Master
Portfolios have adopted the following investment restrictions as non-fundamental policies. These restrictions may be changed without interestholder approval by vote of a majority of the Trustees of MIP at any time. The Master Portfolios are subject to the following investment restrictions, all of which are non-fundamental policies:

(1) Each Master Portfolio may invest in shares of other open-end management investment companies, subject to the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, including the rules, regulations and exemptive orders obtained thereunder. Other investment companies in which a Master Portfolio invests can be expected to charge fees for operating expenses, such as investment advisory and administration fees, that would be in addition to those charged by such Master Portfolio;

(2) Each Master Portfolio may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. For this purpose, illiquid securities include, among others, (i) securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale,
(ii) fixed time deposits that are subject to withdrawal penalties and that have maturities of more than seven days, and (iii) repurchase agreements not terminable within seven days;

(3) Each Master Portfolio may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and financial institutions, in amounts not to exceed (in the aggregate) one-third of the Master Portfolio's total assets. Any such loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily; and

(4) Each Master Portfolio may not purchase securities on margin, but each Master Portfolio may make margin deposits in connection with transactions in options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those related to indexes, and options on futures contracts or indexes.

Investments and Risks of the Master Portfolios

BORROWING. The Master Portfolios may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes, including the meeting of redemption requests. Borrowing involves special risk considerations. Interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the return earned on borrowed funds (or on the assets that were retained rather than sold to meet the needs for which funds were borrowed). Under adverse market conditions, a Master Portfolio might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales. Reverse repurchase agreements, short sales not against the box, dollar roll transactions and other similar investments that involve a form of leverage (I.E., risk of gain or loss higher than the amount invested) have characteristics similar to borrowings. The Master Portfolios maintain liquid assets in connection with those types of transactions.

INVESTMENTS IN UNDERLYING FUNDS. To implement its asset allocation strategy, each Master Portfolio invests its assets in a combination of Underlying Funds. Each Underlying Fund invests directly in portfolio securities, except that the BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund invests all of its assets in a related Master Portfolio.

LOANS OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES. Each Master Portfolio may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers, including borrowers affiliated with BGFA. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. A Master Portfolio may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. Each Master Portfolio receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities.

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. The Master Portfolio is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, the Master Portfolio is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of each lending Master Portfolio or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, including those managed by BGFA; such reinvestments are subject to investment risk.

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (I.E., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), "gap" risk (I.E., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees the Master Portfolio has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. In the event a borrower does not return a Master Portfolio's securities as agreed, the Master Portfolio may experience

losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities.

A Master Portfolio may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to a securities lending agent who administers the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the Master Portfolio's Board of Trustees. BGI acts as securities lending agent for the Master Portfolios, subject to the overall supervision of BGFA. BGI receives a portion of the revenues generated by securities lending activities as compensation for its services in this regard.

SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS. The Master Portfolios may invest in various money market instruments. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit ("CDs"), bankers' acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of domestic banks (including non-U.S. branches); (iii) commercial paper; (iv) non-convertible corporate debt securities (E.G., bonds and debentures); (v) repurchase agreements; and (vi) U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of non-U.S. banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of BGFA, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Master Portfolio. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market mutual funds, including those managed by BGFA. See "Investments in Underlying Funds" above.

U.S. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS. The Master Portfolios may invest in various types of U.S. government obligations. A U.S. government obligation is a type of bond. U.S. government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Payment of principal and interest on U.S. government obligations (i) may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States (as with U.S. Treasury obligations and Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae") certificates) or (ii) may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself (as with Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"), or Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") notes). In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities where it is not obligated to do so. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms.

Investments and Risks of the Underlying Funds

Set forth below is more detailed information regarding types of instruments in which the Underlying Funds may invest, strategies BGFA may employ in pursuit of an Underlying Fund's investment objective, and related risks.

ASSET-BACKED AND COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed securities. Asset-backed securities are securities backed by installment contracts, credit-card receivables or other assets. Commercial mortgage-backed securities are securities backed by commercial real estate properties. Both asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed securities represent interests in "pools" of assets in which payments of both interest and principal on the securities are made on a regular basis. The payments are, in effect, "passed through" to the holder of the securities (net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities). As the purchaser of such securities the Fund generally would have no recourse to the entity that originated the loans or mortgages in the event of a default by the borrower. If any received payments are not made with respect to the underlying loans or mortgages, the Fund may experience losses or delays in receiving payments. The average life of asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed securities varies with the maturities of the underlying instruments and, as a result of prepayments, can often be shorter or longer (as the case may be) than the original maturity of the assets underlying the securities. For this and other reasons, an asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed security's stated maturity may be shortened or extended, and the security's total return may be difficult to predict precisely. BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund may invest in such securities up to the limits prescribed by Rule 2a-7 and other provisions of the 1940 Act. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for credit-linked securities. Also see "Mortgage Pass-Through Securities" and "Mortgage Securities."

BONDS. A bond is an interest-bearing security issued by a company or a governmental unit or, in some cases, a non-U.S. entity. The issuer of a bond has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal (the bond's face value) periodically or on a specified maturity date. An issuer may have the right to redeem or "call" a bond before maturity, in which case the investor may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates. Most bonds bear interest income at a "coupon" rate that is fixed for the life of the bond. Certain bonds, however, do not make interest payments, but instead are sold at a discount from their face value and are redeemed at face value when they mature ("zero coupon bonds"). The value of a fixed-rate bond usually rises when market interest rates fall, and falls when market interest rates rise. Accordingly, a fixed-rate bond's yield (income as a percent of the bond's current value) may differ from its coupon rate as its value rises or falls. When an investor purchases a fixed-rate bond at a price that is greater than its face value, the investor is purchasing the bond at a premium. Conversely, when an investor purchases a fixed-rate bond at a price that is less than its face value, the investor is purchasing the bond at a discount. Fixed-rate bonds that are purchased at a discount pay less current income than securities with comparable yields that are purchased at face value, with the result that prices for such fixed-rate securities can be more volatile than prices for such securities that are purchased at face value. Other types of bonds bear income at an interest rate that is adjusted periodically. Because of their adjustable interest rates, the value of "floating-rate" or "variable-rate" bonds fluctuates much less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of fixed-rate bonds. See "Floating-Rate and Variable-Rate Obligations" below. Because zero coupon bonds do not pay current income, their prices can be more volatile than other types of fixed-income securities when interest rates change. An Underlying Fund may treat a bond as having a shorter maturity for purposes of calculating the weighted average maturity of its investment portfolio. Bonds may be senior or subordinated obligations. Senior obligations generally have the first claim on a corporation's earnings and assets and, in the event of liquidation, are paid before subordinated obligations. Bonds may be unsecured (backed only by the issuer's general creditworthiness) or secured (backed by specified collateral).

BORROWING. Each Underlying Fund may borrow in the same manner as the Master Portfolios, as described above.

COLLATERALIZED DEBT OBLIGATIONS. A Master Portfolio may invest in collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs"), which include collateralized bond obligations ("CBOs"), collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs") and other similarly structured securities. CBOs and CLOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of fixed-income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment-grade or equivalent unrated loans. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses.

CDO cash flows are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the subordinate "equity" tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds, loans or other underlying collateral and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Because it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CDO typically has higher ratings and lower yields than its underlying collateral, and can be rated investment-grade. Despite the protection provided by the equity tranche, senior CDO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults in the event of collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as market aversion to CDOs as a class. Additionally, tranches that are senior to the equity tranche are often subordinate to other, more senior tranches, which may have a variety of preferences, including the authority to compel early redemption of subordinate tranches.

In addition to the risks generally associated with fixed-income securities (E.G., interest rate risk and default risk), CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) concentrated portfolios with heightened exposure to movements in a particular segment of the market; (ii) significant leverage that could magnify the affect of adverse events; (iii) distributions from the collateral may not be adequate to make interest or other payments;
(iv) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (v) a Master Portfolio may invest in CDOs that are subordinate to other classes; (vi) the market for a CDO, or the fixed-income markets more generally, may become illiquid; and (vii) the complex structure of the CDO may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may give rise to disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.

These risks have recently led to actual defaults and market losses on certain CDOs.

CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. Certain of the Underlying Funds may purchase fixed-income convertible securities, such as bonds or preferred stock, which may be converted at a stated price within a specified period of time into a specified number of shares of common stock of the same or a different issuer. Convertible securities are senior to common stock in a corporation's capital structure, but usually are subordinated to non-convertible debt securities. While providing a fixed-income stream (generally higher in yield than the income from a common stock but lower than that afforded by a non-convertible debt

security), a convertible security also affords an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the common stock into which it is convertible.

In general, the market value of a convertible security is the higher of its "investment value" (I.E., its value as a fixed-income security) or its "conversion value" (I.E., the value of the underlying shares of common stock if the security is converted). As a fixed-income security, the market value of a convertible security generally increases when interest rates decline and generally decreases when interest rates rise. However, the price of a convertible security also is influenced by the market value of the security's underlying common stock. Thus, the price of a convertible security generally increases as the market value of the underlying stock increases and generally decreases as the market value of the underlying stock declines. Investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in the common stock of the same issuer.

CORPORATE BONDS. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in investment-grade corporate bonds. The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest on the security and changes in the market value of the security. The market value of a corporate bond may be affected by the credit rating of the corporation, the corporation's performance and perceptions of the corporation in the market place. There is a risk that the issuers of the securities may not be able to meet their obligations on interest or principal payments at the time called for by an instrument.

CREDIT-LINKED SECURITIES. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in credit-linked securities. Credit-linked securities are securities that are collateralized usually by one or more credit default swaps on corporate credits and, in some instances, by government securities or similar low-risk assets. As an investor in credit-linked securities, an Underlying Fund has the right to receive periodic interest payments from the issuer of the credit-linked security at an agreed-upon interest rate and, subject to certain conditions, a return of principal at the maturity date.

Credit-linked securities are typically privately negotiated transactions between two or more parties. The issuer of the credit-linked security will usually be a financial institution or a special purpose vehicle established by a financial institution. An Underlying Fund bears the risk that the issuer of the credit-linked security will default or become bankrupt. An Underlying Fund bears the risk of loss of its principal investment and the periodic interest payments expected to be received for the duration of its investment in the credit-linked security.

Credit-linked securities are also subject to the credit risk of the corporate issuers underlying the credit default swaps. If one or more of the credit events agreed upon in the credit default swap occurs with respect to one or more of the underlying corporate issuers and the credit default swap is physically settled, an Underlying Fund may receive physical delivery of the security or loan that is subject to the relevant credit event, and the Underlying Fund's principal investment would be reduced by the corresponding face value of the security or loan that is the subject of the credit event. In instances where the underlying credit default swap is cash-settled on the occurrence of a credit event, an Underlying Fund's principal investment would be reduced, typically by the face value of the security or loan in respect of which the applicable credit event has occurred, and the Underlying Fund would not receive physical delivery of the loan or security that was the subject of the relevant credit event.

The market for credit-linked securities may be, or suddenly can become, illiquid. Indeed, often credit-linked securities are subject to significant restrictions on transfer, thereby enhancing the illiquidity of such securities. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for credit-linked securities. In certain cases, a market price for a credit-linked security may not be available. The value of a credit-linked security will typically increase or decrease with any change in value of the underlying collateral, if any, held by the issuer of the credit default swap. Further, in cases where the credit-linked security is structured such that the payments to an Underlying Fund are based on amounts received in respect of, or the value or performance of, any reference obligation specified in the terms of the relevant credit default swap, fluctuations in the value of such reference obligation or the performance of the related reference entity may affect the value of the credit-linked security.

An investment in credit-linked securities involves reliance on the counterparty to the swap entered into with the issuer to make periodic payments to the issuer under the terms of the credit default swap. Any delay or cessation in the making of such payments may be expected in certain instances to result in delays or reductions in payments to an Underlying Fund as an investor in such credit-linked securities. Additionally, credit-linked securities are typically structured as limited recourse obligations of the issuer of the securities, such that the securities issued will usually be obligations solely of the issuer and will not be obligations or responsibilities of any other person.

CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS. Those Underlying Funds that may engage in currency transactions do not expect to engage in currency transactions for the purpose of hedging against declines in the value of the Underlying Funds' assets that are denominated in a foreign currency. The Underlying Funds may enter into foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts to facilitate local securities settlements or to protect against currency exposure in connection with their distributions to shareholders, but may not enter into such contracts for speculative purposes.

A forward currency contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. A currency futures contract is a contract involving an obligation to deliver or acquire the specified amount of a specific currency, at a specified price and at a specified future time. Futures contracts may be settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the sale and delivery of the underlying currency.

Foreign exchange transactions involve a significant degree of risk and the markets in which foreign exchange transactions are effected are highly volatile, highly specialized and highly technical. Significant changes, including changes in liquidity and prices, can occur in such markets within very short periods of time, often within minutes. Foreign exchange trading risks include, but are not limited to, exchange rate risk, maturity gap, interest rate risk, and potential interference by foreign governments through regulation of local exchange markets, foreign investment or particular transactions in foreign currency. If BGFA utilizes foreign exchange transactions at an inappropriate time or judges market conditions, trends or correlations incorrectly, foreign exchange transactions may not serve their intended purpose of improving the correlation of an Underlying Fund's return with the performance of its underlying index and may lower the Underlying Fund's return. An Underlying Fund could experience losses if the value of its currency forwards, options and futures positions were poorly correlated with its other investments or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid market. In addition, an Underlying Fund could incur transaction costs, including trading commissions, in connection with certain foreign currency transactions.

DIVERSIFICATION AND CONCENTRATION. Certain of the Underlying Funds are "diversified funds." A diversified fund is one that, with respect to 75% of its total assets (excluding cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, and securities of other investment companies), does not invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities of any one issuer and does not acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer. The remaining 25% of a diversified fund's assets may be invested in any manner.

Other Underlying Funds are classified as "non-diversified" for purposes of the 1940 Act. A "non-diversified" classification means that an Underlying Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. The securities of a particular issuer may dominate the Underlying Fund's underlying index and, consequently, the Underlying Fund's investment portfolio. This may adversely affect the Underlying Fund's performance or subject the Underlying Fund's shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by more diversified investment companies.

In addition, an Underlying Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of issuers in particular industries may dominate an Underlying Fund's underlying index and consequently the Underlying Fund's investment portfolio. This may adversely affect the Underlying Fund's performance or subject the Underlying Fund's shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by less concentrated investment companies.

Each Underlying Fund intends to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct its operations so as to qualify as a "regulated investment company" for purposes of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and to relieve the Underlying Fund of any liability for U.S. federal income tax to the extent that its earnings are distributed to shareholders. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Code may limit the investment flexibility of an Underlying Fund and make it less likely that the Underlying Fund will meet its investment objective.

EQUITY SECURITIES. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed-income securities. The market price of equity securities may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally; particular industries, sectors or geographic regions represented in those markets; or individual issuers. The types of developments that may affect an issuer of an equity security include management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services. Common and preferred stock represent equity or ownership interests in an issuer. Preferred stock, however, pays dividends at a specified rate and has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

FLOATING-RATE AND VARIABLE-RATE OBLIGATIONS. The Underlying Funds may purchase debt instruments with interest rates that are periodically adjusted at specified intervals or whenever a benchmark rate or index changes. The floating-rate and variable-rate instruments that the Underlying Funds may purchase include certificates of participation in such instruments. The interest rate adjustments generally limit the increase or decrease in the amount of interest received on the debt instruments. Floating-rate and variable-rate instruments are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk. The interest rate on an inverse floating-rate security resets in the opposite direction from the market rate of interest to which the security is benchmarked. An inverse floating rate security may exhibit greater price volatility than a fixed-rate security of similar credit quality.

The Underlying Funds may purchase floating-rate and variable-rate obligations. The Underlying Funds may purchase floating-rate and variable-rate demand notes and bonds, which are obligations ordinarily having stated maturities in excess of 13 months, but which permit the holder to demand payment of principal at any time, or at specified intervals not exceeding 397 days, as defined in Rule 2a-7 of the 1940 Act. Variable-rate demand notes including master demand notes are demand obligations that permit an Underlying Fund to invest fluctuating amounts, which may change daily without penalty, pursuant to direct arrangements between an Underlying Fund, as lender, and the borrower. The interest rates on these notes fluctuate from time to time. The issuer of such obligations ordinarily has a corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal amount of the obligations plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days' notice to the holders of such obligations. The interest rate on a floating-rate demand obligation is based on a known lending rate, such as a bank's prime rate, and is adjusted automatically each time such rate is adjusted. The interest rate on a variable-rate demand obligation is adjusted automatically at specified intervals. Frequently, such obligations are secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements provided by banks.

These obligations are direct lending arrangements between the lender and borrower. There may not be an established secondary market for these obligations, although they are redeemable at face value. Accordingly, where these obligations are not secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements, an Underlying Fund's right to redeem is dependent on the ability of the borrower to pay principal and interest on demand. Such obligations frequently are not rated by credit rating agencies and an Underlying Fund may invest in obligations that are not so rated only if BGFA determines that at the time of investment the obligations are of comparable quality to the other obligations in which an Underlying Fund may invest. BGFA considers on an ongoing basis the creditworthiness of the issuers of the floating-rate and variable-rate demand obligations in an Underlying Fund's portfolio.

FORWARD COMMITMENTS, WHEN-ISSUED PURCHASES AND DELAYED-DELIVERY TRANSACTIONS. Certain of the Underlying Funds may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis and make contracts to purchase or sell securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Securities purchased or sold on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment basis involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines, or the value of the security to be sold increases, before the settlement date. Although an Underlying Fund will generally purchase securities with the intention of acquiring them, the Underlying Fund may dispose of securities purchased on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or a forward commitment basis before settlement when deemed appropriate by BGFA.

FUNDING AGREEMENTS. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in short-term funding agreements. A funding agreement is a contract between an issuer and a purchaser that obligates the issuer to pay a guaranteed rate of interest on a principal sum deposited by the purchaser. Funding agreements will also guarantee the return of principal and may guarantee a stream of payments over time. A funding agreement has a fixed maturity and may have either a fixed-, variable- or floating-interest rate that is based on an index and guaranteed for a fixed time period. An Underlying Fund will purchase short-term funding agreements only from banks and insurance companies that, at the time of purchase, are rated in one of the three highest rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization ("NRSRO").

The secondary market, if any, for these funding agreements is limited; thus, such investments purchased by an Underlying Fund may be treated as illiquid. If a funding agreement is determined to be illiquid it will be valued at its fair market value as determined by procedures approved by the Underlying Fund's Board of Trustees.

FUTURES CONTRACTS, OPTIONS TRANSACTIONS, AND SWAP TRANSACTIONS. FUTURES CONTRACTS AND OPTIONS TRANSACTIONS. The Underlying Funds may enter into futures contracts and may purchase and write (I.E., sell) options. A futures contract is an agreement between two parties, a buyer and a seller, to exchange a particular commodity or financial instrument at a specific price on a specific date in the future. The seller of a futures contract may never actually deliver the commodity or financial instrument. Instead, the buyer and the seller settle the difference between the contract price and the market price in cash on

the agreed-upon date, with the buyer paying the difference if the actual price is lower than the contract price and the seller paying the difference if the actual price is higher. Futures contracts are standardized and traded on exchanges, where the exchange serves as the ultimate counterparty for all contracts. Consequently, the primary credit risk on futures contracts is the creditworthiness of the exchange. Futures contracts are subject to market risk (I.E., exposure to adverse price changes). In addition, in employing futures contracts as a hedge against cash market price volatility, futures prices may correlate imperfectly with the prices of securities held by an Underlying Fund. Similarly, in employing futures contracts as a substitute for purchasing the designated underlying securities, the performance of the futures contract may correlate imperfectly with the performance of the direct investments for which the futures contract is a substitute. Although each Underlying Fund intends to purchase or sell futures contracts only if there is an active market for such contracts, no assurance can be given that a liquid market will exist for any particular contract at any particular time.

An option transaction generally involves a right, which may or may not be exercised, to buy or sell a security, commodity or financial instrument at a particular price on a specified future date. Options may be exchange-traded or traded over-the-counter ("OTC options"). Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size, and strike price, the terms of OTC options generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the purchaser or writer greater flexibility to tailor an option to its needs, OTC options generally are less liquid and involve greater credit risk than exchange-traded options, which are guaranteed by the clearing organization of the exchange where they are traded. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular options at any particular time. Options may have relatively low trading volume and liquidity if their strike prices are not close to the underlying instrument's current price.

Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities or currencies except that options on futures contracts give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put) at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon the exercise of an option on a futures contract, which is exchange-traded, the writer of the option delivers to the holder of the option the futures position and the accumulated balance in the writer's futures margin account, which represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. The potential loss related to the purchase of options on futures contracts is limited to the premium paid for the option (plus transaction costs). Because the value of the option is fixed at the time of sale, there are no daily cash payments to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option may change daily and that change would be reflected in the net asset value of an Underlying Fund.

Exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for options and futures contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the secondary market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require an Underlying Fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of the change in its value. As a result, an Underlying Fund's access to other assets held to cover its options or futures positions could also be impaired. In addition, if it is not possible to, or if an Underlying Fund determines not to, close a position in anticipation of adverse price movements, the Underlying Fund will be required to make daily cash payments on variation margin. The Underlying Funds maintain liquid assets in connection with futures contracts.

By purchasing a put option, an Underlying Fund obtains the right (but not the obligation) to sell the option's underlying instrument at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, an Underlying Fund pays the current market price for the option (the "option premium"). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific securities, indexes of securities prices, and futures contracts. As a purchaser, an Underlying Fund may terminate its position in a put option by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. If an Underlying Fund allows the option to expire, the Underlying Fund will lose the entire premium. If an Underlying Fund exercises the option, the Underlying Fund completes the sale of the underlying instrument at the strike price. An Underlying Fund may also terminate a put option by closing it out in the secondary market at its current price, if a liquid secondary market exists.

As the buyer of a typical put option, an Underlying Fund can expect to realize a gain if security prices fall substantially. However, if the underlying instrument's price does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, an Underlying Fund, as the put buyer, can expect to suffer a loss (limited to the amount of the premium, plus related transactions costs).

The features of call options are essentially the same as those of put options, except that the purchaser of a call option obtains the right to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. A call buyer typically attempts to participate in potential price increases of the underlying instrument with risk limited to the cost of the option if security prices fall. At the same time, the buyer can expect to suffer a loss if security prices do not rise sufficiently to offset the cost of the option.

As the writer of a put or call option, an Underlying Fund takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option's purchaser. In return for receipt of the option premium, an Underlying Fund (as the writer) assumes the obligation to pay the strike price for the option's underlying instrument if the other party to the option chooses to exercise it. An Underlying Fund (as the writer) may seek to terminate a position in a put option before exercise by closing out the option in the secondary market at its current price. If the secondary market is not liquid for a put option, however, an Underlying Fund must continue to be prepared to pay the strike price while the option is outstanding, regardless of price changes. When writing an option on a futures contract, an Underlying Fund will be required to make margin payments to a futures commission merchant.

If securities prices rise, an Underlying Fund, as a put writer, would generally expect to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the option premium it received. If security prices remained the same over time, it is likely that an Underlying Fund would also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a lower price. If security prices fall, an Underlying Fund would expect to suffer a loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing the underlying instruments directly, however, because the option premium received for writing the option should mitigate the effects of the decline. The potential loss related to writing put options is limited to the agreed upon price per share times the number of shares minus the premium received from writing the put.

Writing a call option obligates an Underlying Fund to sell or deliver the option's underlying instrument, in return for the strike price, upon exercise of the option. The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that writing calls generally is a profitable strategy if prices remain the same or fall. Through receipt of the option premium, an Underlying Fund, as a call writer, mitigates the effects of a price decline. At the same time, because an Underlying Fund must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument in return for the strike price, even if its current value is greater, the Underlying Fund would give up some ability to participate in security price increases. The potential for loss related to writing call options is unlimited.

Each Underlying Fund has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (the "Commodity Exchange Act") (except that in the case of the BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund, the filing was made by the BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund's related Master Portfolio) and, therefore, the Underlying Funds are not subject to registration or regulation as commodity pool operators, under the Commodity Exchange Act. Additionally, each LifePath Portfolio and each Master Portfolio in which the LifePath Portfolios invest has also filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Exchange Act and is not subject to registration or regulation as commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act.

Each Underlying Fund may take advantage of opportunities in the area of options and futures contracts and other derivative investments which are not presently contemplated for use by the Underlying Fund or which are not currently available but which may be developed, to the extent such opportunities are both consistent with the Underlying Fund's investment objective and legally permissible for the Underlying Fund.

An Underlying Fund may invest in index futures and options on index futures as a substitute for a comparable market position in the underlying securities. Each Underlying Fund intends to purchase and sell futures contracts on the index for which it can obtain the best price with consideration also given to liquidity.

An Underlying Fund may also invest in interest-rate futures contracts and options on interest-rate futures contracts as a substitute for a comparable market position in the underlying securities. An Underlying Fund may also sell options on interest-rate futures contracts as part of closing purchase transactions to terminate its options positions. No assurance can be given that such closing transactions can be effected or the degree of correlation between price movements in the options on interest rate futures and price movements in an Underlying Fund's portfolio securities which are the subject of the transaction.

SWAP TRANSACTIONS. An Underlying Fund may enter into swaps, including, but not limited to, interest-rate, index and credit default swaps as well as structured credit instruments, including but not limited to ABX (an index of asset-backed securities),

CMBX (an index of commercial mortgage-backed securities), and CDX (an index of credit default securities) indexes, which are comprised default swaps. Swap transactions generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal. If an Underlying Fund enters into a swap transaction, cash or securities may be posted by or to the Underlying Fund as collateral in accordance with the terms of the swap agreement. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, an Underlying Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. Upon early termination of a swap agreement due to an event of default or termination event with respect to an Underlying Fund or other party, the risk of loss to the Underlying Fund would generally be limited to the net amount of payments that the Underlying Fund is contractually obligated to make if, after exercising in accordance with the swap agreement the rights with respect to early close-out of the swap transaction(s), it is determined that the Underlying Fund would be obligated to make a net payment with respect to the swap transaction(s). In the event the other party to the swap transaction(s) were to owe a net amount to an Underlying Fund upon an early termination of the swap agreement as described above, the Underlying Fund could be exposed to the risk of loss in the event that any collateral held by the Underlying Fund would be insufficient. The use of swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with conventional securities transactions. Certain types of swaps are described in greater detail below. The Underlying Funds maintain liquid assets in connection with transactions in swaps, including each type of swap described in greater detail below.

Interest-rate swaps involve the exchange by an Underlying Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (for example, an exchange of floating-rate payments or fixed-rate payments). Index swaps (sometimes referred to as total return swaps) involve the exchange by an Underlying Fund with another party of cash flows based upon the performance of an index of securities or a portion of an index of securities that usually include, but are not limited to, dividends or income. In each case, the exchange of commitments can involve payments to be made in the same currency or in different currencies. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, an Underlying Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. The use of interest-rate and index swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions.

A credit default swap is a contract between two parties that transfers the credit risk of an entity (the "reference entity") for a defined period whereby if there is a Credit Event then the seller of protection pays a predetermined amount to the buyer of protection. A "Credit Event" is commonly defined as the reference entity's (a) failing to pay principal or interest on time, (b) restructuring its debt, (c) accelerating its debt, or (d) entering bankruptcy. The buyer of credit protection pays a premium to the seller of credit protection until the earlier of a Credit Event or the scheduled termination date of the credit default swap. Credit default swaps can be used to implement BGFA's view that a particular credit, or group of credits, will experience credit improvement. In the case of expected credit improvement, an Underlying Fund may sell credit default protection in which it receives a premium to take on the risk. In such an instance, the obligation of an Underlying Fund to make payments upon the occurrence of a Credit Event creates leveraged exposure to the credit risk of the reference entity. An Underlying Fund may also buy credit default protection with respect to a reference entity if, in the judgment of BGFA, there is a high likelihood of credit deterioration. In such instance, an Underlying Fund will pay a premium regardless of whether there is a Credit Event. The credit default swap market in high-yield securities is comparatively new and rapidly evolving compared to the credit default swap market for more seasoned and liquid investment-grade securities, creating the risk that the newer markets will be less liquid and that it may be difficult to exit or enter into a particular transaction. In the event of counterparty default, an Underlying Fund would have rights solely against the counterparty and would have no recourse against the reference entity as a result of the counterparty default.

In a cash-settled credit default swap where an Underlying Fund is buying protection, the Underlying Fund makes a stream of fixed payments to the counterparty in exchange for the right to receive compensation for the loss in market value of the designated obligation that is being hedged in the event the reference entity experiences a Credit Event. In a cash-settled credit default swap where an Underlying Fund is selling protection, the Underlying Fund would be compensated for assuming the transfer of credit risk from the counterparty by receiving a fixed premium over the life of the transaction.

Alternatively, if the transaction were to be physically settled, the counterparty, as seller of protection, would agree that if a specified Credit Event occurs, it would take delivery of an obligation specified by an Underlying Fund and pay to the Underlying Fund an amount equal to the notional amount of the transaction. In exchange for this risk protection, an Underlying Fund would pay the counterparty a fixed premium over the specified life of the credit default swap. In instances where an Underlying Fund sells protection, the Underlying Fund would be compensated for assuming the transfer of credit risk from the counterparty by receiving a fixed premium over the life of the credit default swap. An Underlying Fund would be

required to compensate the counterparty for the loss in market value of the designated obligation if the reference entity suffered a Credit Event and the credit default swap were to be cash-settled. In the event that the transaction were to be physically settled on the occurrence of a specified Credit Event with respect to the reference entity, an Underlying Fund would be required to take physical delivery of an obligation specified at the time of the occurrence of the relevant Credit Event and would pay to the counterparty an amount equal to the notional amount of the transaction.

In an attempt to increase the liquidity of credit default swaps, numerous credit default swaps may also be aggregated into structured credit instruments based on indexes such as the ABX (an index of asset-backed securities), CMBX (an index of commercial mortgage-backed securities), and CDX (an index of credit default securities) indexes. In addition to the risks generally associated with credit default swaps, these structured credit instruments carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) concentrated portfolios with heightened exposure to movements in a particular segment of the market;
(ii) significant leverage that could magnify the affect of adverse events;
(iii) distributions from the collateral may not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (iv) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (v) structured credit instruments may be organized into tranches, with subordinate tranches facing increased exposure to adverse events; (vi) the market for structured credit instruments may become illiquid; and (vii) structured credit instruments are a relatively new product and may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may give rise to disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.

An Underlying Fund may also write (sell) and purchase put and call options on swaps. An option on a swap (commonly referred to as a "swaption") is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap transaction at some designated future time on specified terms as described in the swaption. Depending on the terms of the particular swaption, an Underlying Fund may incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When an Underlying Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid if it decides to let the swaption expire unexercised. When an Underlying Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the swaption, the Underlying Fund becomes obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.

HIGH-YIELD SECURITIES. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in high-yield securities. These securities are generally not exchange traded and, as a result, trade in a smaller secondary market than exchange-traded bonds. In addition, certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in bonds of issuers that do not have publicly-traded equity securities, making it more difficult to hedge the risks associated with such investments. Investing in high-yield debt securities involves risks that are greater than the risks of investing in higher quality debt securities. These risks include: (i) changes in credit status, including weaker overall credit conditions of issuers and risks of default; (ii) industry, market and economic risk; (iii) interest rate fluctuations; and (iv) greater price variability and credit risks of certain high-yield securities such as zero coupon and payment-in-kind securities. While these risks provide the opportunity for maximizing return over time, they may result in greater upward and downward movement of the value of an Underlying Fund's portfolio.

Furthermore, the value of high-yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic, company or industry conditions than is the case for higher quality securities. The market values of certain of these lower-rated and unrated debt securities tend to reflect individual corporate developments to a greater extent than do higher-rated securities, and tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are higher-rated securities. Adverse market, credit or economic conditions could make it difficult at certain times to sell certain high-yield securities held by an Underlying Fund.

HYBRID ARM SECURITIES. Hybrid ARM securities are interests in pools of hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (hybrid ARMs). A hybrid ARM is a mortgage in which the interest rate is fixed for a specified period and then resets periodically, or floats, for the remaining mortgage term. After the initial fixed interest rate period, the interest rate on a hybrid ARM can be reset by a maximum specified amount to an adjustable rate based on a margin over an identified index. As with other adjustable rate mortgages, the adjustable interest rates on hybrid ARMs are subject to periodic and lifetime caps on the increased rates that mortgagors are required to pay.

Hybrid ARM securities are subject to a combination of the risks associated with fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage-backed securities. If a greater percentage of the mortgage pool backing a hybrid ARM security consists of hybrid ARMS in their initial fixed-rate mode, the hybrid ARM securities will be more susceptible to the risks associated with fixed-rate bonds and mortgage-backed securities. These risks would include possible reductions in market value (i) during periods of rising interest rates and (ii) due to the unanticipated shortening or extension of the security's average life resulting from unforeseen mortgage prepayment patterns. If a greater percentage of the underlying mortgage pool consists of hybrid ARMS in their

adjustable-rate mode, the hybrid ARM securities will be more susceptible to the risks associated with capped adjustable-rate securities. These risks include
(i) the possibility of reduced yields during periods of falling interest rates,
(ii) possible reductions in market value if market interest rates rise above the interest rate caps on the underlying hybrid ARMs, and (iii) possible increases in mortgage default rates to the extent that mortgagors are unable to afford higher adjustable mortgage rates.

Because hybrid ARM securities are more complex than conventional fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage-backed securities, it may be more difficult for investors to analyze and predict how the values of hybrid ARM securities will change in response to market interest rate and credit conditions. As a result of this uncertainty, a hybrid ARM security could suffer from a disproportionate reduction in value or loss of market liquidity during periods of volatile interest rates or credit market disruptions.

ILLIQUID SECURITIES. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest up to 15% (except that BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund may invest only up to 10%) of the value of their respective net assets in securities as to which a liquid trading market does not exist, provided such investments are consistent with their respective investment objectives. Such securities may include securities that are not readily marketable, such as privately issued securities and other securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, floating-rate and variable-rate demand obligations as to which an Underlying Fund cannot exercise a demand feature on not more than seven days' notice and as to which there is no secondary market, and repurchase agreements providing for settlement more than seven days after notice.

INFLATION-PROTECTED OBLIGATIONS. Certain of the Underlying Funds invest almost exclusively in inflation-protected public obligations of the U.S. Treasury, commonly known as "TIPS." TIPS are a type of U.S. government obligation issued by the U.S. Treasury that are designed to provide inflation protection to investors. TIPS are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflation (a sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money). The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index. A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of an investment. Because of this inflation adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds.

ISHARES FUNDS. The iShares Funds (the "Underlying iShares Funds") and the other Underlying Funds in which the Master Portfolios were invested as of September 30, 2009 are listed below under "Investment Adviser and Other Service Providers." Each iShares Fund is a type of investment company referred to as an exchange-traded fund ("ETF"). Each iShares Fund is designed to track a particular index and is advised by BGFA. Shares of the Underlying iShares Funds are listed for trading on the national securities exchanges and trade throughout the day on those exchanges and other secondary markets. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the national securities exchanges necessary to maintain the listing of shares of the Underlying iShares Funds will continue to be met. A national securities exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Underlying iShares Funds from listing if
(1) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of an Underlying iShares Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days, (2) the value of the Underlying iShares Fund's underlying index is no longer calculated or available, or (3) any other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the national securities exchange, makes further dealings on the national securities exchange inadvisable. A national securities exchange will remove the shares of an Underlying iShares Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Underlying iShares Fund. As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, brokers' commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels. An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in an open-end investment company that is not exchange-traded and that has the same investment objectives, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate within a wide range, and an Underlying Fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities held by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to an open-end investment company that is not exchange-traded: (i) the market price of the ETF's shares may trade at a discount to their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF's shares may not develop or be maintained; or (iii) trading of an ETF's shares may be halted if the listing exchange's officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide "circuit breakers" (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.

INVESTMENT COMPANIES. The Underlying Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies (including money market funds) to the extent allowed by law. Under the 1940 Act, an Underlying Fund's investment in investment companies is

limited to, subject to certain exceptions, (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the Underlying Fund's total assets with respect to any one investment company and (iii) 10% of the Underlying Fund's total assets invested in investment companies in the aggregate. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, each Underlying Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds, including those advised by BGFA or otherwise affiliated with BGFA, in excess of the limits discussed above. Other investment companies in which an Underlying Fund invests can be expected to charge fees for operating expenses, such as investment advisory and administration fees, that would be in addition to those charged by the Underlying Fund.

An Underlying Fund may purchase shares of ETFs. An Underlying Fund may purchase ETF shares for the same reason it would purchase (and as an alternative to purchasing) futures contracts - to obtain relatively low-cost exposure to the stock market while maintaining flexibility to meet the liquidity needs of the Underlying Fund. ETF shares enjoy several advantages over futures. Depending on the market, the holding period, and other factors, ETF shares can be less costly than futures. In addition, ETF shares can be purchased for smaller sums and offer exposure to market sectors and styles for which there is no suitable or liquid futures contract. An Underlying Fund may also purchase ETF shares for other purposes, including improving its ability to track its underlying index. An Underlying Fund may invest in shares of ETFs that are advised by BGFA.

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, may invest up to 10% of its assets in shares of other iShares Funds that seek to track the performance of equity securities in constituent countries of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. BGFA will not charge advisory fees on that portion of the iShares MSCI Emerging Market Index Fund's assets that is invested in shares of other iShares Funds.

An investment in an iShares Fund that invests in foreign countries involves risks similar to those of investing in a broad-based portfolio of equity securities traded on exchanges in the respective countries covered by the individual iShares Fund. These risks include market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Investing in securities issued by companies domiciled in countries other than the domicile of the investor and denominated in currencies other than an investor's local currency entails certain considerations and risks not typically encountered by the investor in making investments in its home country and in that country's currency. See "Non-U.S. Securities and Emerging Markets Securities" below.

LETTERS OF CREDIT. Certain of the debt obligations (including municipal securities, certificates of participation, commercial paper and other short-term obligations) that certain of the Underlying Funds may purchase may be backed by an unconditional and irrevocable letter of credit of a bank, savings and loan association or insurance company that assumes the obligation for payment of principal and interest in the event of default by the issuer. Only banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies that, in the opinion of BGFA, are of comparable quality to issuers of other permitted investments of an Underlying Fund may be used for letter of credit-backed investments.

LOAN PARTICIPATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS. An Underlying Fund may purchase interests in loan participations that typically represent direct participation in loans to corporate borrowers, and generally are offered by an intermediary bank or other financial institution or lending syndicate. Under these loan participation arrangements, an Underlying Fund will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled from the bank selling the loan participation upon receipt by the bank of the payments from the borrower. The borrower in the underlying loan will be deemed to be the issuer of the participation interest except to the extent an Underlying Fund derives its rights from the intermediary bank that sold the loan participation. Interests in loan participations in which an Underlying Fund may invest may not be rated by any NRSRO. An Underlying Fund will invest in loan participations that are not so rated only if BGFA determines that at the time of the investment the interests in loan participations are of comparable quality to the other instruments in which the Underlying Fund may invest.

Because the bank issuing the loan participation does not guarantee the participation in any way, the participation is subject to the credit risks associated with the underlying corporate borrower. In addition, it may be necessary, under the terms of the loan participation, for an Underlying Fund to assert its rights against the underlying corporate borrower in the event that the underlying corporate borrower should fail to pay principal and interest when due. Thus, an Underlying Fund could be subject to delays, expenses, and risks that are greater than those that would have been involved if the Underlying Fund had purchased a direct obligation of the borrower.

An Underlying Fund may also assume the credit risk associated with an interposed bank or other financial intermediary. In the case of a loan that is administered by an agent bank acting as agent for all holders, the agent bank administers the terms

of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. In addition, the agent bank is normally responsible for the collection of principal and interest payments from the corporate borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all institutions that are parties to the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, an Underlying Fund has direct recourse against the corporate borrower, the Underlying Fund may have to rely on the agent bank or other financial intermediary to apply appropriate credit remedies against a corporate borrower.

A financial institution's employment as agent bank might be terminated in the event that it fails to observe a requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. A successor agent bank would generally be appointed to replace the terminated agent bank, and assets held by the agent bank under the loan agreement should remain available to holders of such indebtedness. However, if assets held by the agent bank for the benefit of an Underlying Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent bank's general creditors, the Underlying Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. In situations involving other interposed financial institutions (E.G., an insurance company or governmental agency) similar risks may arise.

Moreover, under the terms of the loan participation, an Underlying Fund may be regarded as a creditor of the issuing bank (rather than of the underlying corporate borrower), so that the Underlying Fund also may be subject to the risk that the issuing bank may become insolvent. Further, in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the corporate borrower, the loan participation might be subject to certain defenses that can be asserted by the borrower as a result of improper conduct by the issuing bank. If an Underlying Fund does not receive scheduled interest or principal payments on such indebtedness, the Underlying Fund's net asset value and yield could be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured offer an Underlying Fund more protection than an unsecured loan in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower's obligation, or that the collateral could be liquidated.

An Underlying Fund may invest in loan participations of below investment-grade quality. Indebtedness of companies whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks, and may be highly speculative. Some companies may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. Consequently, when investing in indebtedness of companies with poor credit, an Underlying Fund bears a substantial risk of losing the entire amount invested.

Loans and other types of direct indebtedness may be subject to restrictions on resale. In addition, the secondary market, if any, for loans and other types of direct indebtedness may be limited; thus, loans and other types of direct indebtedness purchased by an Underlying Fund may be treated as illiquid.

Investments in loans through a direct assignment of the financial institution's interests with respect to the loan may involve additional risks to an Underlying Fund. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, an Underlying Fund could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In addition, it is conceivable that under emerging legal theories of lender liability, an Underlying Fund could be held liable as co-lender. It is unclear whether loans and other forms of direct indebtedness offer securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. In the absence of definitive regulatory guidance, an Underlying Fund relies on BGFA's research in an attempt to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentation could adversely affect the Underlying Fund.

LOANS OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES. Each Underlying Fund may lend portfolio securities in the same manner as the Master Portfolios, as described above.

MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH SECURITIES. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in mortgage pass-through securities which are a category of pass-through securities backed by pools of mortgages and issued by the Ginnie Mae, or by one of several U.S. government-sponsored enterprises, such as the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or FHLBs. In the basic mortgage pass-through structure, mortgages with similar issuer, term and coupon characteristics are collected and aggregated into a "pool" consisting of multiple mortgage loans. The pool is assigned a CUSIP number and undivided interests in the pool are traded and sold as pass-through securities. The holder of the security is entitled to a PRO RATA share of principal and interest payments (including unscheduled prepayments) from the pool of mortgage loans.

A significant portion of the Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index* (the "Barclays Aggregate Index") (about 37.8%, as of September 30, 2009) represents the U.S. agency mortgage pass-through segment of the U.S. investment-grade bond market. Therefore, a substantial portion of the iShares Barclays Aggregate Bond Fund is invested to seek exposure to a representative sample of U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities. The portion of the Barclays Aggregate Index representing the mortgage pass-through segment of the U.S. investment-grade bond market is comprised of multiple pools of mortgage pass-through securities.

Mortgage securities issued by non-government entities may be subject to greater credit risk than those issued by government entities. The performance of privately-issued mortgage securities may depend on the integrity and competence of the institutions that originate the underlying mortgages, yet investors in these mortgage securities may have only limited access to information required to evaluate the practices of these mortgage originators. In order to prevent defaults by troubled mortgage borrowers, the sponsors of mortgage securities may have to renegotiate and investors in mortgage securities may have to accept less favorable interest rates or other terms on the mortgages underlying these securities. Unanticipated mortgage defaults or renegotiations of mortgage terms are likely to depress the prices of related mortgage securities. Should the government adopt new laws providing mortgage borrowers with additional rights to renegotiate interest rates, alter terms, obtain orders to modify their mortgage terms through the bankruptcy courts, or otherwise allow borrowers to modify or restructure existing mortgages, this may negatively impact mortgage securities. Although mortgage securities may be 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. Guarantees, insurance and other forms of credit enhancement supporting mortgage securities may also be insufficient to cover all losses on underlying mortgages if mortgage borrowers default at a greater than expected rate.

An investment in a specific pool of pass-through securities requires an analysis of the specific prepayment risk of mortgages within the covered pool (since mortgagors typically have the option to prepay their loans). The level of prepayments on a pool of mortgage securities is difficult to predict and can impact the subsequent cash flows and value of the mortgage pool. In addition, when trading specific mortgage pools, precise execution, delivery and settlement arrangements must be negotiated for each transaction. These factors combine to make trading in mortgage pools somewhat cumbersome. For these and other reasons, an Underlying Fund may obtain exposure to U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities primarily through the use of "to-be-announced" or "TBA" transactions. "TBA" refers to a commonly used mechanism for the forward settlement of U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities, and not to a separate type of mortgage-backed security. Most transactions in mortgage pass-through securities occur through the use of TBA transactions. TBA transactions generally are conducted in accordance with widely-accepted guidelines that establish commonly observed terms and conditions for execution, settlement and delivery. In a TBA transaction, the buyer and seller decide on general trade parameters, such as agency, settlement date, par amount, and price. The actual pools delivered generally are determined two days prior to the settlement date. An Underlying Fund may use TBA transactions in several ways. For example, an Underlying Fund may regularly enter into TBA agreements and "roll over" such agreements prior to the settlement date stipulated in such agreements. This type of TBA transaction is sometimes known as a "TBA roll." In a TBA roll, an Underlying Fund generally will sell the obligation to purchase the pools stipulated in the TBA agreement prior to the stipulated settlement date and will enter into a new TBA agreement for future delivery of pools of mortgage pass-through securities. In addition, an Underlying Fund may enter into TBA agreements and settle such transactions on the stipulated settlement date by accepting actual receipt or delivery of the pools of mortgage pass-through securities stipulated in the TBA agreement. Default by or bankruptcy of a counterparty to a TBA transaction would expose an Underlying Fund to possible loss because of adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools of mortgage pass-through securities specified in the TBA transaction. To minimize this risk, an Underlying Fund will enter into TBA transactions only with established counterparties (such as major broker-dealers) and BGFA will monitor the creditworthiness of such counterparties. The use of TBA rolls may cause an Underlying Fund to experience higher portfolio turnover and to pay higher capital gain distributions, which may result in larger amounts of short-term capital gains allocable to interestholders. The Underlying Funds maintain liquid assets in connection with TBA transactions.

The iShares Barclays Aggregate Bond Fund intends to invest cash pending settlement of any TBA transactions in money market instruments, repurchase agreements or other high-quality, liquid short-term instruments, including money market funds affiliated with BGFA.

MORTGAGE SECURITIES. Mortgage securities are issued by government and non-government entities such as banks, mortgage lenders, or other institutions. A mortgage security is an obligation of the issuer that is backed by a mortgage or pool of mortgages or a direct interest in an underlying pool of mortgages. Some mortgage securities, such as collateralized mortgage obligations, make payments of both principal and interest at a range of specified intervals; others make semi-annual interest payments at a pre-determined rate and repay principal at maturity (like a typical bond). Mortgage securities are based on different types of mortgages, including those on commercial real estate or residential properties. Stripped mortgage securities are created when the interest and principal components of a mortgage security are separated and sold as individual securities. In the case of a stripped mortgage security, the holder of the "principal-only" security (PO) receives the principal payments made by the underlying mortgage, while the holder of the "interest-only" security (IO) receives interest payments from the same underlying mortgage.

The value of mortgage securities may change due to shifts in the market's perception of the creditworthiness of issuers and changes in interest rates or liquidity. The value of some mortgage-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates. In addition, regulatory or tax changes may adversely affect the mortgage securities market as a whole. Mortgage securities issued by non-government entities may be subject to greater credit risk than those issued by government entities. The performance of privately-issued mortgage securities may depend on the integrity and competence of the institutions that originate the underlying mortgages, yet investors in these mortgage securities may have only limited access to information required to evaluate the practices of these mortgage originators. In order to prevent defaults by troubled mortgage borrowers, the sponsors of mortgage securities may have to renegotiate and investors in mortgage securities may have to accept less favorable interest rates or other terms on the mortgages underlying these securities. Unanticipated mortgage defaults or renegotiations of mortgage terms are likely to depress the prices of related mortgage securities. Although mortgage securities may be 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. Guarantees, insurance and other forms of credit enhancement supporting mortgage securities may also be insufficient to cover all losses on underlying mortgages if mortgage borrowers default at a greater than expected rate.

Non-government mortgage securities may be subject to greater price changes than government issues. Mortgage securities are subject to prepayment risk. Prepayment risk is the risk that early principal payments made on the underlying mortgages, usually in response to a reduction in interest rates, will result in the return of principal to the investor, causing the investor to be invested subsequently at a lower current interest rate. Alternatively, in a rising interest rate environment, mortgage security values may be adversely affected when prepayments on underlying mortgages do not occur as anticipated, resulting in the extension of the security's effective maturity and the related increase in interest rate sensitivity of a longer-term instrument. The prices of stripped mortgage securities tend to be more volatile in response to changes in interest rates than those of non-stripped mortgage securities. In addition, 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. Also see "Asset-Backed and Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities," "Hybrid ARM Securities" and "Mortgage Pass-Through Securities."

MUNICIPAL SECURITIES. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in municipal securities. Municipal securities are generally issued by states and local governments and their agencies, authorities and other instrumentalities. Municipal bonds are subject to interest rate, credit and market risk. The ability of a municipal security issuer to make payments on that security could be affected by litigation, legislation or other political events or the bankruptcy of the issuer. Lower-rated municipal bonds are subject to greater credit and market risk than higher quality municipal bonds. Municipal securities in which the Underlying Funds may invest include, but are not limited to, municipal lease obligations and securities issued by entities whose underlying assets are municipal bonds. There is no guarantee that income from municipal securities will be exempt from federal or state taxes. Changes in federal or state tax treatment of municipal securities may make municipal securities less attractive as investments or cause them to lose value.

In addition, certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in residual interest bonds, which are created by depositing municipal securities in a trust and dividing the income stream of an underlying municipal bond in two parts, one, a variable-rate security and the other, a residual interest bond. The interest rate for the variable-rate security is determined by an index or an auction process held approximately every seven to 35 days, while the residual interest bond holder receives the balance of

the income from the underlying municipal bond less an auction fee. The market prices of residual interest bonds may be highly sensitive to changes in market rates and may decrease significantly when market rates increase.

The BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund may invest in high-quality long-term municipal bonds, municipal notes and short-term commercial paper, with remaining maturities not exceeding 397 calendar days.

NON-U.S. SECURITIES AND EMERGING MARKETS SECURITIES. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in certain securities of non-U.S. issuers. Investing in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involves special risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. These include differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, the possibility of expropriation or potentially confiscatory taxation or war, adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, political instability which could affect U.S. investments in non-U.S. countries, potential restrictions of the flow of international capital, generally less liquid and less efficient securities markets, generally greater price volatility, less publicly available information about issuers, the imposition of withholding or other taxes, higher transaction and custody costs, delays and risks attendant in settlement procedures, difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations, lesser liquidity and significantly smaller market capitalization of most non-U.S. securities markets, more substantial government interference with the economy and transaction costs of foreign currency conversions. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to less governmental regulation than U.S. issuers. Moreover, individual non-U.S. economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy with respect to growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payment positions. In addition, changes in foreign exchange rates also will affect the value of securities denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Certain foreign markets have specific geographical risks such as a heightened likelihood of earthquakes, tsunamis, or volcanoes. Certain foreign markets also experience acts of terrorism, territorial disputes or other defense concerns. These situations may have a significant impact on the economies of, and investments in, these geographic areas.

OBLIGATIONS OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS, SUPRANATIONAL ENTITIES AND BANKS. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by one or more foreign governments or any of their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities that are determined by BGFA to be of comparable quality to the other obligations in which the Underlying Funds may invest. Certain foreign governments, specifically foreign governments in emerging markets, historically have encountered difficulties in servicing their debt obligations, withheld payments of principal and interest, and declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on their sovereign debts. Certain of the Underlying Funds may also invest in debt obligations of supranational entities. Supranational entities include international organizations designated or supported by governmental entities to promote economic reconstruction or development and international banking institutions and related government agencies. Examples include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), the Asian Development Bank and the InterAmerican Development Bank. The percentage of an Underlying Fund's assets invested in obligations of foreign governments and supranational entities will vary depending on the relative yields of such securities, the economic and financial markets of the countries in which the investments are made and the interest rate climate of such countries.

Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest a portion of their total assets in debt obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks or U.S. branches of foreign banks that are denominated in and pay interest in U.S. dollars.

Certain of the Underlying Funds may purchase publicly-traded common stocks of foreign corporations. To the extent an Underlying Fund invests in securities of foreign issuers, the Underlying Fund's investment in such securities may also be in the form of American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") and European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") (collectively, "Depositary Receipts"). Depositary Receipts are receipts, typically issued by a bank or trust company, that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. For ADRs, the depositary is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. For other Depositary Receipts, the depositary may be a foreign or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may have a foreign or a U.S. issuer. Depositary Receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. An Underlying Fund may invest in Depositary Receipts through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the deposited security. Holders of unsponsored Depositary Receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute interestholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the

holders of such receipts in respect of the deposited securities. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts.

EMERGING MARKETS. Some foreign markets in which the Underlying Funds invest are considered to be emerging markets. Investment in these emerging markets subjects an Underlying Fund to a greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shut down and more governmental limitations on foreign investment policy than those typically found in developed markets.

PARTICIPATION INTERESTS. An Underlying Fund may invest in participation interests in any type of security in which the Underlying Fund may invest. A participation interest gives an Underlying Fund an undivided interest in the underlying securities in the proportion that the Underlying Fund's participation interest bears to the total principal amount of the underlying securities.

RATINGS. An investment-grade rating means the security or issuer is rated investment-grade by Moody's(Reg. TM) Investors Service ("Moody's"), Standard & Poor's(Reg. TM) Rating Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&P(Reg. TM)"), Fitch Inc. ("Fitch"), Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited, or another credit rating agency designated as a NRSRO by the SEC, or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by BGFA. Bonds rated Baa by Moody's or BBB by S&P or above are considered "investment-grade" securities; bonds rated Baa are considered medium-grade obligations which lack outstanding investment characteristics and have speculative characteristics, while bonds rated BBB are regarded as having adequate capacity to pay principal and interest.

Subsequent to purchase by the applicable Underlying Funds, a rated security may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below an investment-grade rating. Bonds rated lower than Baa3 by Moody's or BBB- by S&P are below investment-grade quality and are obligations of issuers that are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay principal according to the terms of the obligation and, therefore, carry greater investment risk, including the possibility of issuer default and bankruptcy and increased market price volatility. Such securities ("lower-rated securities") are commonly referred to as "junk bonds" and are subject to a substantial degree of credit risk. Lower-rated securities are often issued by smaller, less creditworthy companies or by highly leveraged (indebted) firms, which are generally less able than more financially stable firms to make scheduled payments of interest and principal. The risks posed by securities issued under such circumstances are substantial. Bonds rated below investment-grade tend to be less marketable than higher-quality bonds because the market for them is less broad. The market for unrated bonds is even narrower.

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. An Underlying Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with certain counterparties. Repurchase agreements involve an agreement to purchase financial instruments and to resell those instruments back to the same counterparty at an agreed-upon date and price, which price reflects a rate of interest unrelated to a coupon rate or maturity of the purchased instruments. The value of the instruments purchased may be more or less than the price at which the counterparty has agreed to repurchase them. As protection against the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation, the instruments are marked-to-market daily and are maintained at a value at least equal to the sale price plus the accrued incremental amount. Delays or losses could result if the counterparty to the repurchase agreement defaults or becomes insolvent. An Underlying Fund will only enter into repurchase agreements with counterparties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by BGFA.

RESTRICTED SECURITIES. Restricted securities are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling restricted securities may result in a loss or be costly to an Underlying Fund. Restricted securities generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the restricted security's holder may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time the holder decides to seek registration and the time the holder may be permitted to sell the security under an effective registration statement. If, during that period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.

REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. Certain of the Underlying Funds may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest

payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. Generally the effect of such transactions is that an Underlying Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases the Underlying Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are only advantageous if an Underlying Fund has an opportunity to earn a greater rate of interest on the cash derived from these transactions than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available and an Underlying Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when BGFA believes it will be advantageous to the Underlying Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of an Underlying Fund's assets. Under the 1940 Act, reverse repurchase agreements are considered borrowings. Each Underlying Fund maintains liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than reverse repurchase agreement commitments.

SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS. Each Underlying Fund may invest in short-term instruments in the same manner as the Master Portfolios, as described above.

STOCK INDEX FUTURES AND OPTIONS ON STOCK INDEX FUTURES. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest in stock index futures and options on stock index futures as a substitute for a comparable market position in the underlying securities. An index futures contract is a standardized agreement between two parties that commits one party to buy and the other party to sell a stipulated quantity of a market index at a set price on or before a given date in the future. The seller never actually delivers "shares" of the index or shares of all the stocks in the index. Instead, the buyer and the seller settle the difference between the contract price and the market price in cash on the agreed-upon date - the buyer paying the difference if the actual price is lower than the contract price and the seller paying the difference if the actual price is higher. An Underlying Fund intends to purchase and sell futures contracts on the stock index for which it can obtain the best price with consideration also given to liquidity.

An option on a stock index is similar to an option on a stock except that expiration cycles vary either monthly or quarterly and the delivery requirements are different. Instead of giving the right to take or make delivery of stock at a specified price, an option on a stock index gives the holder the right to receive a cash "exercise settlement amount" equal to (i) the amount, if any, by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in the case of a put) or is less than (in the case of a call) the closing value of the underlying index on the date of exercise, multiplied by (ii) a fixed "index multiplier." Receipt of this cash amount depends upon the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based being greater than (in the case of a call) or less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option. The amount of cash received is equal to such difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars multiplied by a specified multiplier. The writer of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. The writer may offset a position in stock index options prior to expiration by entering into a closing transaction on an exchange or the writer may let the option expire unexercised. The Underlying Funds maintain liquid assets in connection with these types of futures contracts.

UNRATED INVESTMENTS. The BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund may purchase instruments that are not rated if, in the opinion of BGFA, such obligations are of an investment quality that is comparable to other rated investments that are permitted for purchase by the BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund, if they are purchased in accordance with the BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund's procedures adopted by the Trust's Board of Trustees in accordance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act. Such procedures require approval or ratification by the Board of Trustees of the purchase of unrated securities. After purchase by the BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund, a security may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum required for purchase by the BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund. Neither event will require an immediate sale of such security by the BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund provided that, when a security ceases to be rated, BGFA determines that such security presents minimal credit risks and, provided further that, when a security rating is downgraded below the eligible quality for investment or no longer presents minimal credit risks, BGFA finds that the sale of such security would not be in the BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund's shareholders' best interest.

To the extent the ratings given by a NRSRO may change as a result of changes in such organization or its rating systems, the BGIF Institutional Money Market Fund will attempt to use comparable ratings as standards for investments in accordance with the investment policies contained in its registration statement.

U.S. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS. Certain of the Underlying Funds may invest a portion of their assets in U.S. government obligations and may make such investments in the same manner as the Master Portfolios, as described above.

WARRANTS. A warrant is an instrument issued by a corporation that gives the holder the right to subscribe to a specified amount of the corporation's capital stock at a set price for a specified period of time. The prices of warrants do not necessarily correlate with the prices of the underlying securities.

Portfolio Holdings Information

The Boards of Trustees of the Trust and MIP have adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of portfolio holdings information that requires that such information be disclosed in a manner that (a) is consistent with applicable legal requirements and in the best interests of each LifePath Portfolio's and Master Portfolio's respective shareholders or interestholders, as applicable;
(b) does not put the interests of the Investment Adviser, the LifePath Portfolios' distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor" or "SEI"), or any affiliated person of the Trust, the Master Portfolios, the Investment Adviser or the Distributor, above those of the LifePath Portfolios' shareholders and the Master Portfolios' interestholders; (c) does not advantage any current or prospective LifePath Portfolio shareholders or Master Portfolio interestholders over any other current or prospective LifePath Portfolio shareholders or Master Portfolio interestholders; and (d) does not provide selective access to portfolio holdings information except pursuant to the procedures outlined below and to the extent appropriate confidentiality arrangements and/or control mechanisms (such as by virtue of duties to the LifePath Portfolios or the Master Portfolios) limiting the use of such information are in effect. None of the LifePath Portfolios, the Master Portfolios, the Investment Adviser or BGI receive any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information pursuant to the arrangements described below.

The policy described herein only relates to the disclosure of portfolio holdings information of the LifePath Portfolios and the Master Portfolios.

SERVICE PROVIDERS. Daily access to information concerning portfolio holdings is permitted, without any lag between the date of the information and the date on which such information is disclosed, (i) to personnel of the Investment Adviser who manage the Master Portfolios' assets ("Portfolio Managers") or who provide administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to the Portfolio Managers ("Support Staff"), and (ii) to other personnel of the Investment Adviser and the LifePath Portfolios' and Master Portfolios' service providers, such as BGI, State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street") and SEI, who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, administration, custody, and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with the Master Portfolios and the LifePath Portfolios and the terms of their respective current registration statements. Portfolio Managers and Support Staff may also release and discuss portfolio holdings information with various broker-dealers, including broker-dealers affiliated with the Investment Adviser, in connection with managing the Master Portfolios' assets and settling the Master Portfolios' transactions, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with the Master Portfolios and the LifePath Portfolios and the terms of their respective current registration statements.

From time to time, portfolio holdings information may also be provided, in the ordinary course of business without any lag between the date of the information and the date on which such information is disclosed (provided that such information is provided no earlier than the close of trading on the same business day as the date of such information), to other persons and entities, including, among others, the Trust's and MIP's Trustees; the auditors of the LifePath Portfolios and the Master Portfolios; counsel to the Trust or MIP, and counsel to the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust or MIP (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) (the "Independent Trustees"); pricing service vendors; proxy voting service providers; financial printers; regulatory authorities; stock exchanges and other listing organizations; rating or ranking organizations; or as otherwise required by law or regulation. The following is a list, as of September 30, 2009, of all such persons and entities with which the LifePath Portfolios and the Master Portfolios have ongoing arrangements to provide portfolio holdings information: Moody's, Lipper, Inc. and Morningstar, Inc., as the rating organizations for certain of the Master Portfolios; and Interactive Data Corp. and Reuters, as pricing services for the Master Portfolios. Such information is generally provided the first business day following month-end. Any additions, modifications or deletions to the foregoing list that have occurred since September 30, 2009 are not reflected. Generally, the above persons and entities are subject to duties of confidentiality arising under law or contract that the Boards of Trustees of the Trust and MIP believe provide an adequate safeguard for such information.

THIRD-PARTY FEEDER LIFEPATH PORTFOLIOS. Each Master Portfolio provides portfolio holdings information to the sponsors, administrators or other service providers for feeder LifePath Portfolios sponsored by institutions not affiliated with BGFA that invest in such Master Portfolio (each, a "third-party feeder LifePath Portfolio") as may be necessary to (i) conduct business of

the third-party feeder LifePath Portfolios in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with the third-party feeder LifePath Portfolios and the terms of the Master Portfolio's current registration statement, or (ii) satisfy legal requirements applicable to the third-party feeder LifePath Portfolios. Such portfolio holdings information may be provided without any lag between the date of the information and the date on which such information is disclosed. Each third-party feeder LifePath Portfolio is subject to the terms and duties of confidentiality of its own portfolio holdings disclosure policy as adopted by its board of directors or trustees (which policy may be different than the Trust's and MIP's policy described herein), and none of BGFA, BGI or the Board of Trustees of the Trust or MIP exercises control over any third-party feeder LifePath Portfolio's policies. The following is a list, as of September 30, 2009, of third-party feeder LifePath Portfolios and their service providers with which the Master Portfolios have ongoing arrangements to provide portfolio holdings information: State Farm Mutual Fund Trust. Such information is generally provided within five business days following month-end. Any additions, modifications or deletions, to the foregoing list that have occurred since September 30, 2009 are not reflected.

BGFA, BGI and the Master Portfolios may also provide portfolio holdings information to the sponsors, administrators or other service providers for a potential third-party feeder LifePath Portfolio to the extent necessary for such entities to evaluate a potential investment in the relevant Master Portfolio, subject to appropriate confidentiality arrangements limiting the use of such information to that purpose.

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION FILINGS. Each LifePath Portfolio will disclose its complete portfolio holdings schedule in public filings with the SEC on a quarterly basis, based on such LifePath Portfolio's fiscal year, within 70 days after the end of the calendar quarter, and will provide that information to shareholders, as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.

OTHER PUBLIC DISCLOSURE. A LifePath Portfolio or its related Master Portfolio may voluntarily disclose portfolio holdings information in advance of required filings with the SEC to persons and entities that make such information generally available to interested persons, such as institutional investors and their advisers and representatives. These persons and entities may make such information available through a variety of methods, including without limitation via websites, e-mail and other forms of publication. Such portfolio holdings information may be provided without any lag between the date of the information and the date on which such information is disclosed, provided that such information is provided no earlier than the close of trading on the same business day as the date of such information. No conditions or restrictions are placed on the use of such information because the LifePath Portfolios and the Master Portfolios intend that the persons and entities to which such information is provided will make such information generally available to all interested persons. The following is a list, as of September 30, 2009, of all such persons and entities with which the LifePath Portfolios or the Master Portfolios have ongoing arrangements to provide portfolio holdings information and the frequency with which such information is provided: Bloomberg (monthly). Any additions, modifications or deletions to the foregoing list that have occurred since September 30, 2009 are not reflected.

APPROVED RECIPIENTS. The LifePath Portfolios' and the Master Portfolios' Chief Compliance Officer may also authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings information to approved recipients pursuant to the above policy.

The Boards of Trustees of the Trust and MIP review the above policy and the procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings information at least annually. There can be no assurance that the Trust's and MIP's policy and procedures with respect to disclosure of portfolio holdings information will prevent the misuse of such information by persons that receive such information.