| TYPES
OF INVESTMENT RISK
The principal risks of investing in each
Fund are described previously in this prospectus. The following list
provides more detail about some of those risks, along with information
on additional types of risks that may apply to the Funds. Risks
associated with particular types of investments each Fund makes are
described in this section and in the Statement of Additional Information
referred to on the back page.
General Risks of
Investing in Each of the Funds
Credit Risk ?
Bond Funds and, to the extent they invest in fixed-income securities,
Equity Funds
The risk that an issuer will be unable to make principal and
interest payments when due is known as "credit risk." U.S.
government securities are generally considered to be the safest type of
investment in terms of credit risk. Tax-Exempt Obligations generally
rank between U.S. government securities and corporate debt securities in
terms of credit safety. Corporate debt securities, particularly those
rated below investment grade, may present the highest credit risk.
Securities rated below investment grade
are particularly subject to credit risk. These securities are
predominantly speculative and are commonly referred to as "junk
bonds." To the extent a Fund purchases or holds convertible or
other securities that are below investment grade, a greater risk exists
as to the timely repayment of the principal of, and the timely payment
of interest or dividends on, such securities.
Ratings published by rating agencies are
widely accepted measures of credit risk. The lower a bond issue is rated
by an agency, the more credit risk it is considered to represent.
Lower-rated bonds generally pay higher yields to compensate investors
for the greater risk.
Interest Rate
Risk ? Bond Funds and, to the extent they invest in fixed-income
securities, Equity Funds
Generally, a fixed-income security will increase in value
when interest rates fall and decrease in value when interest rates rise.
Longer-term securities are generally more sensitive to interest rate
changes than shorter-term securities, but they usually offer higher
yields to compensate investors for the greater risks.
Changes in interest rates may also extend
or shorten the duration of certain types of instruments, such as
asset-backed securities, thereby affecting their value and the return on
your investment. Duration is an approximate measure of the sensitivity
of bond and bond fund prices to changes in interest rates. Unlike
maturity, which refers only to the time until final payment, duration
refers to the average time it takes to receive all expected cash flows
(including interest payments, prepayments and final payments) on the
debt obligations held by a fund. Zero coupon securities, including
stripped securities in which the Bond Funds (other than the Colorado
Tax-Exempt Fund) may invest are subject to greater interest-rate risk
than many of the more typical fixed-income securities.
A bond fund's average dollar-weighted
maturity and duration are measures of how the fund will react to
interest-rate changes. The stated maturity of a bond is the date when
the issuer must repay the bond's entire principal value to an investor,
such as a fund. A bond's term to maturity is the number of years
remaining to maturity. A bond fund does not have a stated maturity, but
it does have an average dollar-weighted maturity. This is calculated by
averaging the terms to maturity of bonds held by a fund, with each
maturity "weighted" according to the percentage of net assets
it represents.
Liquidity Risk
? All Funds
Certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at
the time and price that the Fund would like. A Fund may have to lower
the price, sell other securities instead or forego an investment
opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on fund
management or performance. This risk applies, for example, to variable
and floating rate demand notes; variable amount demand securities and
restricted securities that the Funds may purchase; short-term funding
agreements that each Fund may purchase; and the futures contracts in
which each Fund (other than the Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund) may engage.
Illiquid securities also include repurchase agreements, securities loans
and time deposits with notice/termination dates of greater than seven
days, certain municipal leases and certain securities subject to trading
restrictions because they are not registered under the Securities Act of
1933. The Funds may purchase equity securities that are restricted as to
resale, issued by issuers who have outstanding, publicly-traded equity
securities of the same class ("private investment in public
equity" or "pipes"). The pipes may contain provisions
that the issuer will pay specified financial penalties to the holder if
the issuer does not publicly register the pipes within a specified
period of time, but there is no assurance that the pipes will be
publicly registered.
There may be no active secondary market
for illiquid securities. Each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net
assets at the time of purchase, in securities that are illiquid. A
domestically traded security that is not registered under the Securities
Act of 1933 will not be considered illiquid if the Adviser determines
that an adequate investment trading market exists for that security.
However, there can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist for
any security at a particular time. Because illiquid and restricted
securities may be difficult to sell at an acceptable price, they may be
subject to greater volatility and may result in a loss to a Fund.
Management Risk
? All Funds
A strategy that the Adviser uses may fail to produce the
intended results. The particular securities and types of securities a
Fund holds may underperform other securities and types of securities.
There can be no assurance a Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Certain policies of each Fund, which may not be changed without a
shareholder vote, are described in the Statement of Additional
Information.
Market Risk ?
All Funds
The value of the securities in which a Fund invests may go up
or down in response to the prospects of individual companies and/or
general economic conditions. Price changes may be temporary or last for
extended periods.
Each Fund's performance results may
reflect periods of above average performance attributable to its
investment in certain securities during the initial public offering, the
performance of a limited number of the securities in the Fund, or other
non-recurring factors. It is possible that the performance may not be
repeated in the future.
Other Types of
Investments ? All Funds
This prospectus describes each Fund's principal investment
strategies, and the types of securities in which each Fund principally
invests. Each Fund may, from time to time, make other types of
investments and pursue other investment strategies in support of its
overall investment goal. These supplemental investment strategies ?
and the risk involved ? are described in detail in the Statement of
Additional Information, which is referred to on the back cover of this
prospectus.
Portfolio
Turnover Risks ? All Equity Funds, but predominantly MIDCO Growth
Fund, Small-Cap Growth Fund, Select Fund, International Select Fund,
Blue Chip Fund, Mid-Cap Opportunity Fund and Small-Cap Opportunity Fund
The Adviser will not consider the portfolio turnover rate a
limiting factor in making investment decisions for a Fund. A high rate
of portfolio turnover (100% or more) involves correspondingly greater
expenses, which must be borne by a Fund and its shareholders. It may
result in higher short-term capital gains taxable to shareholders. These
gains are taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains. Frequent
trading could also mean higher brokerage commissions and other
transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. See
"Financial Highlights" for the Funds' historical portfolio
turnover rates.
The Westcore MIDCO Growth Fund, Small-Cap
Growth Fund, Select Fund, Blue Chip Fund, Mid-Cap Opportunity Fund and
Small-Cap Opportunity Fund, each had a portfolio turnover rate over 100%
in the year ended May 31, 2001. The Adviser believes that the Westcore
International Select Fund may have a high portfolio turnover during the
current fiscal year.
Temporary
Defensive Positions ? All Funds
Each Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive
positions that are inconsistent with its principal investment strategies
in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other
conditions. Such investments include various short-term instruments. If
any Fund takes a temporary position at the wrong time, the position
would have an adverse impact on that Fund's performance. The Fund may
not achieve its investment objective. The Funds reserve the right to
invest all of their assets in temporary defensive positions. The
Westcore International Frontier and International Select Funds may
invest in fewer than three countries as a temporary defensive position.
Additional Risks That
Apply to Particular Investments
Asset-Backed
Securities ? Bond Funds, Other Than Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund
These Funds may purchase asset-backed securities, which are
securities backed by installment sale contracts, credit card receivables
or other assets. The yield characteristics of asset-backed securities
differ from traditional debt securities. A major difference is that the
principal amount of the obligations may be prepaid at any time, because
the underlying assets (i.e., loans) generally may be prepaid at any
time. The prepayment rate is primarily a function of current market
rates and conditions. In periods of falling interest rates, the rate of
prepayment tends to increase, and the reinvestment of prepayment
proceeds by a Fund will generally be at a lower rate than the rate on
the prepaid obligation. Prepayments may also result in some loss of a
Fund's principal investment if any premiums were paid. As a result of
these yield characteristics, some high-yielding, asset-backed securities
may have less potential for growth in value than conventional bonds with
comparable maturities. These characteristics may result in a higher
level of price volatility for these assets under certain market
conditions.
Asset-backed securities may be subject to
greater risk of default during periods of economic downturn than
conventional debt instruments, and the holder frequently has no recourse
against the entity that originated the security. In addition, the
secondary market for certain asset-backed securities may not be as
liquid as the market for other types of securities, which could result
in the Funds' experiencing difficulty in valuing or liquidating such
securities.
Cash Position
? All Funds, Other Than Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund, but predominantly
Select, International Frontier and International Select Funds
When a Fund's portfolio manager believes that market
conditions are unfavorable for profitable investing, including
situations where he is unable to locate attractive investment
opportunities, a Fund's cash or similar investments may increase. In
other words, each Fund does not always stay fully invested in the stocks
or bonds that constitute its principal investments. Cash or similar
investments generally are a residual ? they represent the assets that
remain after the portfolio manager has committed available assets to
desirable investment opportunities. However, the portfolio manager may
also temporarily increase the Fund's cash position to protect its assets
or maintain liquidity. When the Fund's investments in cash or similar
investments increase, it may not participate in market advances or
declines to the same extent that it would if the Fund remained more
fully invested in its principal investments.
Convertible
Securities ? All Funds, Other Than Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund
These Funds may invest in convertible securities, including
bonds and preferred stocks, which may be converted into common stock at
a specified price or conversion ratio. The Funds use the same
research-intensive approach and valuation techniques for selecting
convertible securities as are used for the selection of common stocks.
The value of a convertible security is
influenced by both interest rates and the value of the underlying common
stock.
Derivative Risk
? All Funds, Other Than Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund, but predominantly
International Frontier, International Select and Flexible Income Funds
The term derivative covers a wide number of investments, but
in general it refers to any financial instrument whose value is derived,
at least in part, from the price of another security or a specified
index, asset or rate. Some derivatives may be more sensitive to or
otherwise not react in tandem with interest rate changes or market
moves, and some may be susceptible to changes in yields or values due to
their structure or contract terms. Loss may result from a Fund's
investments in options, futures, swaps, structured securities and other
derivative instruments which may be leveraged. A Fund may use
derivatives to: increase yield; hedge against a decline in principal
value; invest with greater efficiency and lower cost than is possible
through direct investment; adjust the Fund's duration; or provide daily
liquidity.
Hedging is the use of one investment to
offset the effects of another investment. To the extent that a
derivative is used as a hedge against an opposite position that the Fund
also holds, a loss generated by the derivative should be substantially
offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging
can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains.
Hedging also involves correlation risk ? the risk that changes in the
value of a hedging instrument may not match those of the asset being
hedged.
To the extent that a derivative is not
used as a hedge, a Fund is directly exposed to the risks of that
derivative. Gains or losses from speculative positions in a derivative
may be substantially greater than the derivative's original cost.
Extension Risks
? Bond Funds
This is the risk that an issuer will exercise its right to
pay principal on an obligation held by a Fund (such as a mortgage- or
asset-backed security) later than expected. This may happen when there
is a rise in interest rates. These events may lengthen the duration and
potentially reduce the value of these securities.
Foreign Currency
Exchange Transactions ? All Funds, Other Than Colorado Tax-Exempt
Fund, but predominantly International Frontier, International Select and
Flexible Income Funds
These Funds may buy and sell securities and pay and receive
amounts denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, and may
enter into currency exchange transactions from time to time. A Fund will
purchase or sell foreign currencies on a "spot" or cash basis
at the prevailing rate in the foreign currency exchange market or enter
into forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Under a forward
currency exchange contract, the Fund would agree with a financial
institution to purchase or sell a stated amount of a foreign currency at
a specified price, with delivery to take place at a specified date in
the future. Forward currency exchange transactions establish an exchange
rate at a future date and are transferable in the interbank market
conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial
banks) and their customers. These contracts generally have no deposit
requirement and are traded at a net price without commission. Neither
spot transactions nor forward foreign currency exchange contracts
eliminate fluctuations in the prices of a Fund's portfolio securities or
in foreign exchange rates or prevent loss if the prices of these
securities should decline. In addition, because there is a risk of loss
to a Fund if the other party does not complete the transaction, these
contracts will be entered into only with parties approved by the Fund's
Board of Trustees.
Forward foreign currency exchange
contracts allow a Fund to hedge the currency risk of portfolio
securities denominated in a foreign currency. This technique permits the
assessment of the merits of a security to be considered separately from
the currency risk. It is thereby possible to focus on the opportunities
presented by the security apart from the currency risk. Although these
contracts are of short duration, generally between one and twelve
months, they frequently are rolled over in a manner consistent with a
more long-term currency decision. Although foreign currency hedging
transactions tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the
value of the hedged currency, at the same time they tend to limit any
potential gain that might be realized should the value of the hedged
currency increase. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts
and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible
because the future value of these securities in foreign currencies will
change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those
securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the
date it matures. The projection of currency market movements is
extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a hedging strategy
is highly uncertain.
A Fund may maintain "short"
positions in forward foreign currency exchange transactions whereby the
Fund would agree to exchange currency that it currently did not own for
another currency at a future date and at a specified price. This would
be done in anticipation of a decline in the value of the currency sold
short relative to the other currency and not for speculative purposes.
In order to ensure that the short position is not used to achieve
leverage with respect to a Fund's investments, the Fund would establish
with its custodian a segregated account consisting of cash or certain
liquid high-grade debt securities equal in value to the market value of
the currency involved.
Foreign
Securities Strategies and Risks ? All Funds, Other Than Colorado
Tax-Exempt Fund, but predominantly International Frontier, International
Select and Flexible Income Funds
Foreign securities are subject to special risks not typically
associated with domestic securities. The following are common examples
of these special risks. The extent of these risks, however, varies from
time to time and from country to country.
- less government
regulation
- less public information
- less economic, political
and social stability
- less security
registration requirements
- less security settlement
procedures and regulations
- an adverse change in
diplomatic relations between the U.S. and another country
- the imposition of
withholding taxes on dividend income
- the seizure or
nationalization of foreign holdings
- the establishment of
exchange controls
- freezes on the
convertibility of currency
- the adoption of other
governmental restrictions adversely affecting investments in foreign
securities
Investments in debt securities of foreign
governments involve the risk that foreign governments may default on
their obligations or may otherwise not respect the integrity of their
debt.
Emerging markets are generally countries
located in the Asia/Pacific region, Eastern Europe, Latin and South
America and Africa. The securities traded within these markets are
typically of companies with less liquidity and potentially greater price
volatility. These countries may have less developed securities
settlement procedures, which may delay or prevent security settlement,
especially during market disruptions. As a result of these and other
risks, including greater social, economic and political uncertainties,
investments in these countries may present a greater risk to a Fund.
Investments in foreign securities also
involve higher costs than investments in U.S. securities, including
higher transaction and custody costs as well as the imposition of
additional taxes by foreign governments.
Each of the Funds may invest in foreign
currency denominated securities. A Fund which invests in foreign
currency denominated securities will also be subject to the risk of
negative foreign currency rate fluctuations. A change in the exchange
rate between U.S. dollars and foreign currency may reduce the value of
an investment made in a security denominated in that foreign currency.
The International Frontier Fund may hedge against foreign currency risk,
and the other Funds may do so on unsettled trades, but none of the funds
are required to do so.
Investments in foreign securities may be
in the form of American Depository Receipts (ADRs), European Depository
Receipts (EDRs) and similar securities. These securities may not be
denominated in the same currency as the securities they represent. ADRs
are receipts typically issued by a United States bank or trust company,
and EDRs are receipts issued by a European financial institution
evidencing ownership of the underlying foreign securities. Up to 25% of
the domestic Equity Funds' assets may be invested in securities issued
by foreign companies, either directly or indirectly through ADRs.
Initial Public
Offerings ? All Funds, Other Than Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund, but
predominantly all Equity Funds
Each of these Funds may invest a portion of its assets in
securities of companies offering shares in IPOs. Because IPO shares
frequently are volatile in price, the Funds may hold IPO shares for a
very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Funds'
portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Funds, such as
commissions and transaction costs. By selling shares, a Fund may realize
taxable gains it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. In
addition, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive
for extended periods of time. There is no assurance that a Fund will be
able to obtain allocations of IPO shares. The limited number of shares
available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for the
Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable
impact on prevailing prices. Investors in IPO shares can be affected by
substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of
additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management
and principal shareholders.
The Funds' investments in IPO shares may
include the securities of unseasoned companies (companies with less than
three years of continuous operations), which presents risks considerably
greater than common stocks of more established companies. These
companies may have limited operating histories and their prospects for
profitability may be uncertain. These companies may be involved in new
and evolving businesses and may be vulnerable to competition and changes
in technology, markets and economic conditions. They may be more
dependent on key managers and third parties and may have limited product
lines.
Mortgage-Related
Securities ? Flexible Income and Plus Bond Funds
The Westcore Flexible Income and Plus Bond Funds may invest
in mortgage-backed securities (including collateralized mortgage
obligations) that represent pools of mortgage loans assembled for sale
to investors by various governmental agencies and government-related
organizations, such as the Government National Mortgage Association, the
Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation. Mortgage-backed securities provide a monthly payment
consisting of interest and principal payments. Additional payments may
be made out of unscheduled repayments of principal resulting from the
sale of the underlying residential property, refinancing or foreclosure,
net of fees or costs that may be incurred. Prepayments of principal on
mortgage-backed securities may tend to increase due to refinancing of
mortgages as interest rates decline. To the extent that the Fund
purchases mortgage-backed securities at a premium, mortgage foreclosures
and prepayments of principal by mortgagors (which may be made at any
time without penalty) may result in some loss of the Fund's principal
investment to the extent of the premium paid. The yield of a Fund that
invests in mortgage-backed securities may be affected by the Fund's need
to reinvest prepayments at higher or lower rates than the original
investment.
Other mortgage-backed securities are
issued by private companies, generally originators of and investors in
mortgage loans, including savings associations, mortgage bankers,
commercial banks, investment bankers and special-purpose entities. These
private mortgage-backed securities may be supported by U.S. Government
mortgage-backed securities or some form of non-government credit
enhancement. Mortgage-backed securities may be affected by prepayments
of principal on the underlying loans, which generally increase as
interest rates decline; as a result, when interest rates decline,
holders of these securities normally do not benefit from appreciation in
market value to the same extent as holders of other non-callable debt
securities. Further, an issuer of an obligation may exercise its right
to pay principal on the obligation later than expected. This is more
likely to happen when interest rates rise. These events may lengthen the
duration and reduce the value of these obligations. Duration is defined
above under "Interest Rate Risk." In addition, like other debt
securities, the values of mortgage-related securities, including
government-related mortgage pools, generally will fluctuate in response
to market interest rates.
Other Investment
Companies ? All Funds
The Funds may invest their cash balances, within the limits
permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"),
in other investment companies that invest in high quality, short-term
debt securities or in a manner consistent with the Fund's investment
objective. A pro rata portion of the other investment companies'
expenses will be borne by the Fund's shareholders.
Prepayment Risk
? Bond Funds
This is the risk that an issuer will exercise its right to
pay principal on an obligation held by a Fund (such as a mortgage- or
asset-backed security) earlier than expected. This may happen when there
is a decline in interest rates. These events may make a Fund unable to
recoup its initial investment and may result in reduced yields.
REITs ? All
Funds, Other Than Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund
The Funds may invest in equity and/or debt securities issued
by equity and mortgage REITs, which are real estate investment trusts.
Equity REITs invest directly in real property. Mortgage REITs invest in
mortgages on real property.
REITs may be subject to certain risks
associated with the direct ownership of real estate, including declines
in the value of real estate, overbuilding and increased competition,
increases in property taxes and operating expenses, and variations in
rental income. Generally, increases in interest rates will decrease the
value of high-yielding securities and increase the costs of obtaining
financing, which could decrease the value of these investments. In
addition, equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the
underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be
affected by the quality of credit extended. REITs are also heavily
dependent on cash flow and are subject to the risk that borrowers may
default.
Securities
Lending ? All Funds, Other Than Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund
These Funds may lend their portfolio securities to
institutional investors as a means of earning additional income.
Securities loans present risks of delay in receiving collateral or in
recovering the securities loaned or even a loss of rights in the
collateral if the borrower of the securities fails financially. A loan
will not be made if, as a result, the total amount of a Fund's
outstanding loans exceeds 30%
of its total assets (including the value of the collateral for the
loan).
Small-Cap Stock Risk ? Small-Cap Growth,
Select, International Frontier, International Select and Small-Cap
Opportunity Funds
Smaller capitalization stocks involve greater risks than
those associated with larger, more established companies. Small company
stocks may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements, for
reasons including that the stocks are traded in lower volume and that
the issuers are more sensitive to changing conditions and have less
certain growth prospects. Also, there are fewer market makers for these
stocks and wider spreads between quoted bid and asked prices in the
over-the-counter market for these stocks. Small-cap stocks tend to be
less liquid, particularly during periods of market disruption. There
normally is less publicly available information concerning these
securities. Small companies in which the Funds may invest may have
limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or may be
dependent on a small management group. In particular, investments in
unseasoned companies present risks considerably greater than investments
in more established companies.
Tax-Exempt
Obligations ? Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund
Tax-exempt obligations in which the Westcore Colorado
Tax-Exempt Fund invests include: (i) "general obligation"
securities that are secured by the issuer's full faith, credit and
taxing power; (ii) revenue securities that are payable only from the
revenues derived from a particular facility or other specific revenue
source such as the user of the facility being financed; (iii)
"moral obligation" securities that are normally issued by
special purpose public authorities; and (iv) private activity bonds
(such as bonds issued by industrial development authorities) that are
usually revenue securities issued by or for public authorities to
finance a privately operated facility.
In many cases, the Internal Revenue
Service has not ruled on whether the interest received on a tax-exempt
obligation is tax-exempt, and, accordingly, purchases of these
securities are based on the opinion of bond counsel to the issuers at
the time of issuance. The Fund and the Adviser rely on these opinions
and will not review the bases for them.
The Fund concentrates its investments in
Colorado obligations. If Colorado or any of its political subdivisions
were to suffer serious financial difficulties that might jeopardize the
ability to pay its obligations, the value of the Fund could be adversely
affected.
Tax Risk ? Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund
This Fund may be more adversely impacted by changes in tax
rates and policies than the other Funds. Because interest income on
municipal obligations is normally not subject to regular federal income
taxation, the attractiveness of municipal obligations in relation to
other investment alternatives is affected by changes in federal income
tax rates applicable to, or the continuing federal income tax-exempt
status of, such interest income. Any proposed or actual changes in such
rates or exempt status, therefore, can significantly affect the demand
for and supply, liquidity and marketability of municipal obligations,
which, in turn, could affect a Fund's ability to acquire and dispose of
municipal obligations at desirable yield and price levels.
U.S. Government
Obligations ? All Funds
The Funds invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the
U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Direct obligations
of the U.S. government such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds are
supported by its full faith and credit. Indirect obligations issued by
federal agencies and government-sponsored entities generally are not
backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Some of these
indirect obligations may be supported by the right of the issuer to
borrow from the Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary
authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency's obligations;
still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality.
Westcore Funds Risk
Spectrum
The spectrum below shows the Adviser's
assessment of the potential risk of the Westcore Funds relative to one
another. The spectrum is not indicative of the future volatility or
performance of the Funds and should not be used to compare the Funds
with other mutual funds or types of investments.

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