Manulife Overhauls Fund Lineup

Manulife Investments has announced a significant number of changes to its mutual fund lineup, changing both the investment objectives and managers for certain funds, as well as amalgamating, capping, or merging many others.

Manulife intends to amalgamate the existing the Standard Life Corporate Class Inc. and Manulife Investment Exchange Funds Corp. into a single entity in order to to allow for tax-deferred switching between the funds, as well as tax-deferred mergers between these funds. It has also proposed changes to the the investment objectives of four funds, decided to cap three of its funds, and plans to alter the sub-advisor and portfolio manager responsibilities of several others.

By far largest number of changes involve the merging of more than 50 funds, which Manulife says it is undertaking in order to eliminate overlap and confusion for both advisors and investors. The mergers are subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals, and will only take place following a special meeting on Nov. 5, 2015 at which the securityholders will vote on the matter.

For more detailed information, including a list of dates and all the funds affected, see the Manulife web site at: http://www.manulife.com/public/news/detail/0,,lang=en&artId=148472&navId=630002,00.html