[LOGO] Tri-Continental Corporation
AN INVESTMENT YOU CAN LIVE WITH
Prospectus
May 1, 2006
100 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
New York City Telephone (212) 682-7600
Toll-Free Telephone (800) 874-1092
For Retirement Plan Information -- Toll-Free Telephone (800) 445-1777
Tri-Continental Corporation is a diversified, closed-end investment
company--a publicly traded investment fund. The Corporation's Common Stock is
traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "TY." The closing market
price of the Common Stock on February 28, 2006 was $19.83 per share.
The Corporation invests primarily for the longer term, and over the years
the Corporation's objective has been to produce future growth of both capital
and income while providing reasonable current income. Common stocks have made
up the bulk of investments. However, assets may be held in cash or invested in
all types of securities. See "Investment Objective and Other Policies and
Related Risks." No assurance can be given that the Corporation's investment
objective will be realized. The Corporation's manager is J. & W. Seligman & Co.
Incorporated.
This Prospectus applies to all shares of Common Stock purchased under the
Corporation's various Investment Plans. See "Investment Plans and Other
Services." The shares of Common Stock covered by this Prospectus also may be
issued from time to time by the Corporation to acquire the assets of personal
holding companies, private investment companies or publicly owned investment
companies. See "Issuance of Shares in Connection with Acquisitions."
This Prospectus sets forth concisely the information that a prospective
investor should know about the Corporation before investing. Investors are
advised to read this Prospectus carefully and to retain it for future
reference. Additional information about the Corporation, including a Statement
of Additional Information ("SAI") dated May 1, 2006, has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The SAI, as well as the Corporation's most
recent Annual and Semi-Annual Reports are also available upon request and
without charge by writing or calling the Corporation at the address or
telephone numbers listed above. Investors may also write or call the
Corporation in order to request other available information or to make
stockholder inquiries. The SAI is dated the same date as this Prospectus and is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The table of contents of the
SAI appears on page 27 of this Prospectus. The 2005 Annual Report contains
financial statements of the Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2005,
which are incorporated by reference into the SAI. The SAI, as well as the
Corporation's most recent Annual and Semi-Annual Reports are also available at
www.tricontinental.com. The website references in this Prospectus are inactive
textual references and information contained in or otherwise accessible through
these websites does not form a part of this Prospectus. The Securities and
Exchange Commission maintains a web site (www.sec.gov) that contains the
Prospectus, SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information
filed electronically by the Corporation.
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED
THESE SECURITIES, AND IT HAS NOT DETERMINED THIS PROSPECTUS TO BE ACCURATE OR
ADEQUATE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
Common Stock
($0.50 par value)
CETRI 1 5/06
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE PAGE
---- ----
Summary of Corporation Expenses............ 3 Computation of Net Asset Value........... 19
Prospectus Summary......................... 4 Dividend Policy and Taxes................ 20
The Corporation............................ 5 Investment Plans and Other Services...... 22
Financial Highlights....................... 6 Issuance of Shares in Connection with 26
Capitalization at February 28, 2006........ 9 Acquisitions........................... 27
Trading and Net Asset Value Information.... 9 Table of Contents of the Statement of 28
Investment Objective and Other Policies and 10 Additional Information................. 29
Related Risks............................ 13 Authorization Form for Automatic Dividend
Management of the Corporation.............. 18 Investment and Cash Purchase Plan......
Description of Capital Stock............... 19 Authorization Form for Automatic Check
Description of Warrants.................... Service................................
SUMMARY OF CORPORATION EXPENSES
The following table illustrates the expenses and fees that the Corporation
expects to incur and that you can expect to bear as a stockholder of the
Corporation.
STOCKHOLDER TRANSACTION EXPENSES
Automatic Dividend Investment and Cash Purchase Plan Fees........ --/(1)/
ANNUAL EXPENSES FOR 2005 (AS A PERCENTAGE OF NET ASSETS ATTRIBUTABLE
TO COMMON STOCK)
Management Fees.................................................. 0.41%
Other Expenses/(2)/.............................................. 0.24%
----
Total Annual Expenses........................................ 0.65%
====
--------
/(1)/ Stockholders participating in the Corporation's investment plans pay a
maximum $2.00 fee per transaction. There is also a charge of $1.00 per
withdrawal payment for stockholders participating in the Systematic
Withdrawal Plan. See "Investment Plans and Other Services--Automatic
Dividend Investment and Cash Purchase Plan" for a description of the
investment plans and services.
/(2)/ Based on actual expenses incurred in 2005.
The following example illustrates the costs you would pay on a $1,000
investment, assuming a 5% annual return:
1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
------ ------- ------- --------
Tri-Continental Corporation Common Stock $7 $21 $36 $81
The purpose of the table above is to assist you in understanding the various
costs and expenses you will bear directly or indirectly. For more complete
descriptions of the various costs and expenses, see "Management of the
Corporation" and "Investment Plans and Other Services--Automatic Dividend
Investment and Cash Purchase Plan."
The example does not represent actual costs, which may be more or less than
those shown. Moreover, the Corporation's actual rate of return may be more or
less than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the example.
3
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
The following is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed information
included elsewhere in this Prospectus.
This Prospectus applies to shares of Common Stock of the Corporation. The
Corporation invests primarily for the longer term and has no Charter
restrictions with respect to such investments. Over the years the Corporation's
objective has been to produce future growth of both capital and income while
providing reasonable current income. There can be no assurance that this
objective will be achieved. While common stocks have made up the bulk of
investments, assets may be held in cash or invested in all types of securities
in whatever amounts or proportions J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated (the
"Manager") believes best suited to current and anticipated economic and market
conditions. These may include preferred stock, debt securities, repurchase
agreements, options, illiquid securities and securities of foreign issuers,
each of which could involve certain risks. See "Investment Objective and Other
Policies and Related Risks."
The Manager manages the investment of the assets of the Corporation and
administers its business and other affairs pursuant to a Management Agreement
approved by the Board of Directors and the stockholders of the Corporation. The
Manager also serves as manager of twenty-three other U.S. registered investment
companies which, together with the Corporation, make up the "Seligman Group of
Funds." The aggregate assets of the Seligman Group of Funds as of March 31,
2006 were approximately $11.8 billion. The Manager also provides investment
management or advice to institutional and other accounts having a value as of
March 31, 2006 of approximately $8.4 billion. The Manager's fee is based in
part on the average daily net assets of the Corporation. The management fee
rate for the year ended December 31, 2005 was equivalent to 0.41% of the
Corporation's average daily net investment assets. See "Management of the
Corporation."
Shares of Common Stock covered by this Prospectus may be purchased from time
to time by Seligman Data Corp. ("SDC"), the Plan service agent for Automatic
Dividend Investment and Cash Purchase Plans, Individual Retirement Accounts
("IRAs"), Retirement Plans for Self-Employed Individuals, Partnerships and
Corporations, the J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated Matched Accumulation Plan
and the Seligman Data Corp. Employees' Thrift Plan (collectively, the "Plans"),
as directed by participants, and may be sold from time to time by the Plan
service agent for participants in Systematic Withdrawal Plans. See "Investment
Plans and Other Services." Shares will be purchased for the Plans on the New
York Stock Exchange or elsewhere when the market price of the Common Stock is
equal to or less than its net asset value, and any brokerage commissions
applicable to such purchases will be charged pro rata to the Plan participants.
Shares will be purchased for the Plans from the Corporation at net asset value
when the net asset value is lower than the market price, all as more fully
described in this Prospectus.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Corporation's Board of Director's
approval of the investment management agreement between the Corporation and the
Manager is available in the Corporation's annual report for 2005.
On November 17, 2005, the Board of Directors authorized the renewal of the
Corporation's ongoing share repurchase plan. The program authorizes the
Corporation to repurchase during the period January 1, 2006 through December
31, 2006 up to 5% of its then outstanding Common Stock, provided that the
excess of net asset value of a share of Common Stock over its market price (the
discount) remains greater than 10%. The
4
shares repurchased under this program are cancelled increasing the number of
authorized but unissued shares available for issuance to participants in the
Plan. The stock repurchase program seeks, among other things, to moderate the
growth in the number of shares outstanding, increase the net asset value of the
Corporation's outstanding shares, reduce the dilutive impact on stockholders
who do not take capital gains distributions in additional shares and increase
the liquidity of the Corporation's Common Stock in the marketplace. Shares
acquired by the Corporation from participants in the Systematic Withdrawal Plan
and other stockholder plans, as well as shares purchased for the Corporation in
the open market to meet demand under the Automatic Dividend Investment and Cash
Purchase Plan, are counted towards the repurchase limit under the program. For
the period from November 19, 2004 through December 31, 2005, the Corporation
repurchased 6,460,302 shares, representing 5.69% of outstanding shares at the
beginning of the period. This compares to 5,931,023 shares repurchased in the
year ended November 18, 2004, representing 5.0% of the shares outstanding.
THE CORPORATION
The Corporation is a Maryland corporation formed in 1929 by the
consolidation of two predecessor corporations. It is registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as a diversified
management investment company of the closed-end type. The Corporation's Common
Stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "TY." The
average weekly trading volume on that and other exchanges during 2005 was
415,356 shares. The Corporation's Common Stock has historically been traded on
the market at less than net asset value. As of February 28, 2006, the
Corporation had 107,343,211 shares of Common Stock outstanding and net assets
attributable to Common Stock of $2,447,393,085.
5
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The Corporation's financial highlights for the years presented below have
been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm. This information, which is derived from the financial and accounting
records of the Corporation, should be read in conjunction with the financial
statements and notes contained in the Corporation's 2005 Annual Report, which
may be obtained from the Corporation as provided on the cover page of this
Prospectus.
"Per share operating performance" data is designed to allow you to trace the
operating performance, on a per Common share basis, from the beginning net
asset value to the ending net asset value so that you can understand what
effect the individual items have on your investment, assuming it was held
throughout the year. Generally, the per share amounts are derived by converting
the actual dollar amounts incurred for each item, as disclosed in the financial
statements, to their equivalent per Common share amount, using average shares
outstanding.
PER SHARE OPERATING PERFORMANCE, TOTAL
(FOR A SHARE OF COMMON STOCK
----------------------------------
2005 2004 2003
---------- ---------- ----------
PER SHARE OPERATING PERFORMANCE:
Net asset value, beginning of year........................................ $ 21.87 $ 19.55 $ 15.72
---------- ---------- ----------
Net investment income..................................................... 0.26 0.26 0.18
Net realized and unrealized investment gain (loss)........................ 0.29 2.31 3.84
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from foreign currency transactions -- -- --
---------- ---------- ----------
Increase (decrease) from investment operations............................ 0.55 2.57 4.02
Dividends paid on Preferred Stock......................................... (0.02) (0.02) (0.02)
Dividends paid on Common Stock............................................ (0.24) (0.23) (0.17)
Distribution from net gain realized....................................... -- -- --
Issuance of Common Stock in gain distributions............................ -- -- --
---------- ---------- ----------
Net increase (decrease) in net asset value................................ 0.29 2.32 3.83
---------- ---------- ----------
Net asset value, end of year.............................................. $ 22.16 $ 21.87 $ 19.55
========== ========== ==========
Adjusted net asset value, end of year*.................................... $ 22.10 $ 21.82 $ 19.51
Market value, end of year................................................. $ 18.58 $ 18.28 $ 16.40
TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN:
Based upon market value................................................... 2.98% 12.95% 25.24%
Based upon net asset value................................................ 2.66% 13.36%# 25.84%
RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Expenses to average net investment assets................................. 0.64% 0.65% 0.68%
Expenses to average net assets for Common Stock........................... 0.65% 0.66% 0.70%
Net investment income to average net investment assets.................... 1.18% 1.26% 1.03%
Net investment income to average net assets for
Common Stock............................................................. 1.20% 1.28% 1.05%
Portfolio turnover rate................................................... 70.77% 47.36% 138.65%
Net investment assets, end of year (000s omitted):
For Common Stock........................................................ $2,392,304 $2,470,781 $2,310,999
For Preferred Stock..................................................... 37,637 37,637 37,637
---------- ---------- ----------
Total net investment assets............................................... $2,429,941 $2,508,418 $2,348,636
========== ========== ==========
--------
* Assumes the exercise of outstanding warrants. Warrant exercise terms were:
December 28, 1995 to July 1, 1996--13.54 shares at $1.66 per share; July 2,
1996 to December 20, 1996--13.79 shares at $1.63 per share; December 21,
1996 to July 1, 1997--14.69 shares at $1.53 per share; July 2, 1997 to
December 19, 1997--14.99 shares at $1.50 per share; December 20, 1997 to
June 23, 1998--16.06 shares at $1.40 per share; June 24, 1998 to December
18, 1998--16.78 shares at $1.34 per share; December 19, 1998 to June 24,
1999--17.85 shares at $1.26 per share; June 25, 1999 to December 16,
1999--18.14 shares at $1.24 per share;
6
The total investment return based on market value measures the Corporation's
performance assuming you purchased shares of the Corporation at the market
value as of the beginning of the year, invested dividends and capital gains
paid as provided for in the Corporation's Automatic Dividend Investment and
Cash Purchase Plan, and then sold your shares at the closing market value per
share on the last day of the year. The computation does not reflect any sales
commissions you may incur in purchasing or selling shares of the Corporation.
The total investment return based on net asset value is similarly computed
except that the Corporation's net asset value is substituted for the
corresponding market value.
The ratios of expenses and net investment income to average net investment
assets and to average net assets for Common Stock for the periods presented do
not reflect the effect of dividends paid to Preferred Stockholders.
INVESTMENT RETURN, RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
OUTSTANDING THROUGHOUT EACH YEAR)
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
$ 21.69 $ 25.87 $ 32.82 $ 34.13 $ 32.06 $ 29.28 $ 27.58
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
0.25 0.32 0.35 0.48 0.54 0.60 0.68
(5.95) (3.02) (3.25) 2.90 7.01 6.94 4.84
-- -- -- -- (0.01) (0.17) (0.02)
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
(5.70) (2.70) (2.90) 3.38 7.54 7.37 5.50
(0.01) (0.01) (0.02) (0.02) (0.02) (0.02) (0.02)
(0.26) (0.28) (0.33) (0.48) (0.52) (0.60) (0.66)
-- (1.11) (3.30) (3.79) (4.28) (3.45) (2.72)
-- (0.08) (0.40) (0.40) (0.65) (0.52) (0.40)
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
(5.97) (4.18) (6.95) (1.31) 2.07 2.78 1.70
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
$ 15.72 $ 21.69 $ 25.87 $ 32.82 $ 34.13 $ 32.06 $ 29.28
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ==========
$ 15.69 $ 21.65 $ 25.82 $ 32.75 $ 34.06 $ 31.99 $ 29.22
$ 13.25 $ 18.75 $ 21.1875 $ 27.875 $ 28.50 $ 26.6875 $ 24.125
(28.18)% (5.22)% (11.56)% 12.57% 26.19% 27.96% 21.98%
(26.35)% (10.20)% (8.29)% 10.67% 25.80% 26.65% 21.45%
0.67% 0.59% 0.54% 0.56% 0.58% 0.60% 0.62%
0.68% 0.60% 0.54% 0.56% 0.58% 0.60% 0.63%
1.29% 1.36% 1.10% 1.36% 1.59% 1.80% 2.27%
1.31% 1.37% 1.11% 1.38% 1.60% 1.82% 2.31%
152.79% 124.34% 54.13% 42.83% 63.39% 83.98% 53.96%
$1,958,295 $2,873,655 $3,458,009 $4,109,863 $4,002,516 $3,391,816 $2,835,026
37,637 37,637 37,637 37,637 37,637 37,637 37,637
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
$1,995,932 $2,911,292 $3,495,646 $4,147,500 $4,040,153 $3,429,453 $2,872,663
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ==========
December 17, 1999 to June 21, 2000--19.56 shares at $1.15 per share; June 22,
2000 to December 17, 2000--19.90 shares at $1.13 per share; December
18, 2000 to December 17, 2001--21.63 shares at $1.04 per share; and
subsequently, 22.50 shares at $1.00 per share.
# Excluding the effect of a payment received from the Manager, the total return
would have been 13.33%.
7
SENIOR SECURITIES -- $2.50 CUMULATIVE PREFERRED STOCK
The following information is being presented with respect to the
Corporation's $2.50 Cumulative Preferred Stock. The first column presents the
number of Preferred shares outstanding at the end of each of the periods
presented. Asset Coverage represents the total amount of net assets of the
Corporation in relation to each share of Preferred Stock outstanding as of the
end of the respective periods. The involuntary liquidation preference is the
amount each share of Cumulative Preferred Stock would be entitled to upon
involuntary liquidation of these shares.
YEAR-END INVOLUNTARY AVERAGE DAILY
ASSET LIQUIDATION MARKET
TOTAL SHARES COVERAGE PREFERENCE VALUE
YEAR OUTSTANDING PER SHARE PER SHARE PER SHARE
---- ------------ --------- ----------- -------------
2005 752,740 $3,228 $50 $45.70
2004 752,740 3,332 50 45.40
2003 752,740 3,120 50 44.16
2002 752,740 2,654 50 40.61
2001 752,740 3,868 50 37.57
2000 752,740 4,644 50 34.72
1999 752,740 5,510 50 37.31
1998 752,740 5,367 50 40.27
1997 752,740 4,556 50 35.62
1996 752,740 3,816 50 34.28
8
CAPITALIZATION AT FEBRUARY 28, 2006
AMOUNT HELD
BY REGISTRANT
OR FOR ITS
TITLE OF CLASS AUTHORIZED OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT
-------------- ---------- ----------- -------------
$2.50 Cumulative Preferred Stock,
$50 par value.................. 1,000,000 shs. 752,740 shs. -0- shs.
Common Stock,
$0.50 par value................ 159,000,000 shs.* 107,343,211 shs. -0- shs.
Warrants to purchase
Common Stock................... 12,822 wts. 12,082 wts. -0- wts.
--------
* 271,845 shares of Common Stock were reserved for issuance upon the exercise
of outstanding Warrants.
TRADING AND NET ASSET VALUE INFORMATION
The following table shows the high and low sale prices of the Corporation's
Common Stock on the composite tape for issues listed on the New York Stock
Exchange for each calendar quarter since the beginning of 2004 as well as the
net asset values and the range of the percentage discounts to net asset value
per share that correspond to such prices.
CORRESPONDING
CORRESPONDING DISCOUNT TO
MARKET PRICE NET ASSET VALUE NET ASSET VALUE
- ------------- --------------- ---------------
2004 HIGH LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
---- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
1st Q $17.69 $16.40 $20.56 $19.52 (13.96)% (15.98)%
2nd Q 17.45 16.00 20.41 19.28 (14.50) (17.01)
3rd Q 16.79 15.82 20.14 19.03 (16.63) (16.87)
4th Q 18.31 16.39 21.89 19.69 (16.35) (16.76)
2005
----
1st Q 18.38 17.49 21.91 20.85 (16.11) (16.12)
2nd Q 18.35 17.16 21.67 20.42 (15.32) (15.96)
3rd Q 18.55 17.79 22.23 21.39 (16.55) (16.83)
4th Q 18.83 17.62 22.50 20.86 (16.31) (15.53)
2006
----
1st Q 20.40 18.86 23.30 22.44 (12.45) (15.95)
The Corporation's Common Stock has historically been traded on the market at
less than net asset value. The closing market price, net asset value and
percentage discount to net asset value per share of the Corporation's Common
Stock on March 31, 2006 were $20.24, $23.13 and 12.49%, respectively.
9
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND OTHER POLICIES AND RELATED RISKS
The Corporation is a Maryland corporation formed in 1929 by the
consolidation of two predecessor corporations. It is registered under the 1940
Act, as a diversified management investment company of the closed-end type.
The Corporation invests primarily for the longer term and has no Charter
restrictions with respect to such investments. Over the years, the
Corporation's investment objective has been to produce future growth of both
capital and income while providing reasonable current income. There can be no
assurance that this objective will be achieved. While common stocks have made
up the bulk of investments, assets may be held in cash or invested in all types
of securities, that is, in bonds, debentures, notes, preferred and common
stocks, rights and warrants (subject to limitations as set forth in the SAI),
options, and other securities, in whatever amounts or proportions the Manager
believes best suited to current and anticipated economic and market conditions.
The management's present investment policies, in respect to which it has
freedom of action, are:
(1) it keeps investments in individual issuers within the limits
permitted diversified companies under the 1940 Act (i.e., 75% of its total
assets must be represented by cash items, government securities, securities
of other investment companies, and securities of other issuers which, at the
time of investment, do not exceed 5% of the Corporation's total assets at
market value in the securities of any issuer and do not exceed 10% of the
voting securities of any issuer);
(2) it does not make investments with a view to exercising control or
management except that it has an investment in SDC;
(3) it ordinarily does not invest in other investment companies, but it
may purchase up to 3% of the voting securities of such investment companies,
provided purchases of securities of a single investment company do not
exceed in value 5% of the total assets of the Corporation and all
investments in investment company securities do not exceed 10% of total
assets; and
(4) it has no fixed policy with respect to portfolio turnover and
purchases and sales in the light of economic, market and investment
considerations. The portfolio turnover rates for the ten fiscal years ended
December 31, 2005 are shown under "Financial Highlights."
The foregoing investment objective and policies may be changed by management
without stockholder approval, unless such a change would change the
Corporation's status from a "diversified" to a "non-diversified" company under
the 1940 Act.
The Corporation's stated fundamental policies relating to the issuance of
senior securities, the borrowing of money, the underwriting of securities of
other issuers, the concentration of investments in a particular industry or
groups of industries, the purchase or sale of real estate, the purchase or sale
of commodities or commodity contracts, and the making of loans may not be
changed without a vote of stockholders. A more detailed description of the
Corporation's investment policies, including a list of those restrictions on
the Corporation's investment activities which cannot be changed without such a
vote, appears in the SAI. Within the limits of these fundamental policies,
management has reserved freedom of action.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS: The Corporation may enter into repurchase agreements
with respect to debt obligations which could otherwise be purchased by the
Corporation. A repurchase agreement is an instrument
10
under which the Corporation may acquire an underlying debt instrument and
simultaneously obtain the commitment of the seller to repurchase the security
at an agreed upon price and date within a number of days (usually not more than
seven days from the date of purchase). The value of the underlying securities
will be at least equal at all times to the total amount of the repurchase
obligation, including the interest factor. The Corporation will make payment
for such securities only upon physical delivery or evidence of book transfer to
the account of the Corporation's custodian. Repurchase agreements could involve
certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the other party,
including possible delays or restrictions upon the Corporation's ability to
dispose of the underlying securities.
ILLIQUID SECURITIES: The Corporation may invest up to 15% of its net
investment assets in illiquid securities, including restricted securities
(i.e., securities not readily marketable without registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("1933 Act")) and other securities that are
not readily marketable. The Corporation may purchase restricted securities that
can be offered and sold to "qualified institutional buyers" under Rule 144A of
the 1933 Act, and the Corporation's Board of Directors may determine, when
appropriate, that specific Rule 144A securities are liquid and not subject to
the 15% limitation on illiquid securities. Should this determination be made,
the Board of Directors will carefully monitor the security (focusing on such
factors, among others, as trading activity and availability of information) to
determine that the Rule 144A security continues to be liquid. This investment
practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in the
Corporation, if and to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become
for a time uninterested in purchasing Rule 144A securities.
FOREIGN SECURITIES: The Corporation may invest in commercial paper and
certificates of deposit issued by foreign banks and may invest in other
securities of foreign issuers directly or through American Depositary Receipts
("ADRs"), American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), European Depositary Receipts
("EDRs") or Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") (collectively, "Depositary
Receipts"). Foreign investments may be affected favorably or unfavorably by
changes in currency rates and exchange control regulations. There may be less
information available about a foreign company than about a U.S. company and
foreign companies may not be subject to reporting standards and requirements
comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. Foreign securities may not be
as liquid as U.S. securities. Securities of foreign companies may involve
greater market risk than securities of U.S. companies, and foreign brokerage
commissions and custody fees are generally higher than those in the United
States. Investments in foreign securities may also be subject to local economic
or political risks, political instability and possible nationalization of
issuers. ADRs and ADSs are instruments generally issued by domestic banks or
trust companies that represent the deposits of a security of a foreign issuer.
ADRs and ADSs may be publicly traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the
United States and are quoted and settled in dollars at a price that generally
reflects the dollar equivalent of the home country share price. EDRs and GDRs
are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies and traded in Europe.
Depositary Receipts may be issued under sponsored or unsponsored programs. In
sponsored programs, the issuer has made arrangements to have its securities
traded in the form of a Depositary Receipt. In unsponsored programs, the
issuers may not be directly involved in the creation of the program. Although
regulatory requirements with respect to sponsored and unsponsored programs are
generally similar, the issuers of securities represented by unsponsored
Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the
United States and, therefore, the import of such information may not be
reflected in the market value of such receipts. The Corporation may invest up
to 10% of its total assets in foreign securities that it holds directly, but
this 10% limit does not apply to foreign securities held through Depositary
Receipts or to commercial paper and certificates of deposit issued by foreign
banks.
LEVERAGE: Senior securities issued or money borrowed to raise funds for
investment have a prior fixed dollar claim on the Corporation's assets and
income. Any gain in the value of securities purchased or in income
11
received in excess of the cost of the amount borrowed or interest or dividends
payable causes the net asset value of the Corporation's Common Stock or the
income available to it to increase more than otherwise would be the case.
Conversely, any decline in the value of securities purchased or income received
on them to below the asset or income claims of the senior securities or
borrowed money causes the net asset value of the Common Stock or income
available to it to decline more sharply than would be the case if there were no
prior claim. Funds obtained through senior securities or borrowings thus create
investment opportunity, but they also increase exposure to risk. This influence
ordinarily is called "leverage." As of February 28, 2006, the only senior
securities of the Corporation outstanding were 752,740 shares of its $2.50
Cumulative Preferred Stock, $50 par value. The dividend rate as of February 28,
2006 on such preferred stock was $2.50 per annum payable quarterly. Based on
its February 28, 2006 asset value, the Corporation's portfolio requires an
annual return of 0.08% in order to cover dividend payments on the Preferred
Stock. For a description of such payments, see "Description of Capital Stock."
The following table illustrates the effect of leverage relating to presently
outstanding Preferred Stock on the return available to a holder of the
Corporation's Common Stock.
Assumed return on portfolio
(net of expenses)....................... -10% -5% 0% 5% 10%
Corresponding return to common stockholder -10.23% -5.15% -0.08% 5.00% 10.08%
The purpose of the table above is to assist you in understanding the effects
of leverage. The percentages appearing in the table are hypothetical. Actual
returns may be greater or less than those shown above.
OTHER RISKS: Stock prices fluctuate. Therefore, as with any fund that
invests in stocks, the Corporation's net asset value and market price will
fluctuate, especially in the short term. You may experience a decline in the
value of your investment and you could lose money if you sell your shares at a
price lower than you paid for them.
The Corporation may not invest 25% or more of its total assets in securities
of companies in any one industry. The Corporation may, however, invest a
substantial percentage of its assets in certain industries or economic sectors
believed to offer good investment opportunities. If an industry or economic
sector in which the Corporation is invested falls out of favor, the
Corporation's performance may be negatively affected.
The Corporation's performance may be affected by the broad investment
environment in the U.S. or international securities markets, which is
influenced by, among other things, interest rates, inflation, politics, fiscal
policy, and current events.
Foreign securities or illiquid securities in the Corporation's portfolio
involve higher risk and may subject the Corporation to higher price volatility.
Investing in securities of foreign issuers involves risks not associated with
U.S. investments, including settlement risks, currency fluctuations, local
withholding and other taxes, different financial reporting practices and
regulatory standards, high costs of trading, changes in political conditions,
expropriation, investment and repatriation restrictions, and settlement and
custody risks.
Options transactions can involve a high degree of risk, including the
possibility of a total loss of the amount invested. When options are purchased
over-the-counter, there is a risk that the counterparty that wrote the option
will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the option
contract. Such over-the-counter options may also be illiquid and, in such
cases, the Corporation may have difficulty closing out its position.
An investment in the Corporation is not a deposit in a bank and is not
insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other
government agency.
12
MANAGEMENT OF THE CORPORATION
THE MANAGER: In accordance with the applicable laws of the State of
Maryland, the Board of Directors provides broad supervision over the affairs of
the Corporation. Pursuant to a Management Agreement approved by the Board and
the stockholders, the Manager manages the investment of the assets of the
Corporation and administers its business and other affairs. In that connection,
the Manager makes purchases and sales of portfolio securities consistent with
the Corporation's investment objective and policies.
The Manager is a successor firm to an investment banking business founded in
1864 which has thereafter provided investment services to individuals,
families, institutions and corporations. The Manager also serves as manager of
twenty-three other U.S. registered investment companies of the Seligman Group
of Funds. These other companies are: Seligman Capital Fund, Inc., Seligman Cash
Management Fund, Inc., Seligman Common Stock Fund, Inc., Seligman
Communications and Information Fund, Inc., Seligman Frontier Fund, Inc.,
Seligman Global Fund Series, Inc., Seligman Growth Fund, Inc., Seligman High
Income Fund Series, Seligman Income and Growth Fund, Inc., Seligman Investment
Grade Fixed Income Fund, Inc., Seligman LaSalle Real State Fund Series, Inc.
Seligman Municipal Fund Series, Inc., Seligman Municipal Series Trust, Seligman
New Jersey Municipal Fund, Inc., Seligman New Technologies Fund, Inc., Seligman
New Technologies Fund II, Inc., Seligman Pennsylvania Municipal Fund Series,
Seligman Portfolios, Inc., Seligman Quality Municipal Fund, Inc., Seligman
Select Municipal Fund, Inc., Seligman TargetHorizon ETF Portfolios, Inc.,
Seligman Time Horizon/Harvester Series, Inc. and Seligman Value Fund Series,
Inc. The address of the Manager is 100 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Mr.
William C. Morris, Chairman of the Manager and Chairman of the Board of
Directors of the Corporation, owns a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Manager and is a controlling person of the Manager.
As compensation for the services performed and the facilities and personnel
provided by the Manager, the Corporation pays to the Manager promptly after the
end of each month a fee, calculated on each day during such month, equal to the
Applicable Percentage of the daily net assets of the Corporation at the close
of business on the previous business day. The term "Applicable Percentage"
means the amount (expressed as a percentage and rounded to the nearest one
millionth of one percent) obtained by dividing (i) the Fee Amount by (ii) the
Fee Base. The term "Fee Amount" means the sum on an annual basis of:
0.45 of 1% of the first $4 billion of Fee Base
0.425 of 1% of the next $2 billion of Fee Base
0.40 of 1% of the next $2 billion of Fee Base, and
0.375 of 1% of the Fee Base in excess of $8 billion.
The term "Fee Base" as of any day means the sum of the net assets at the close
of business on the previous day of each of the investment companies registered
under the 1940 Act for which the Manager or any affiliated company acts as
investment adviser or manager (including the Corporation).
The Corporation's portfolio is managed by the Manager's Core Investment
Team, headed by Mr. John B. Cunningham, Managing Director and Chief Investment
Officer of the Manager. Mr. Cunningham is Vice President and Portfolio Manager
of the Corporation. He is also Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Seligman
Common Stock Fund, Inc., Vice President and Co-Portfolio Manager of Seligman
Income and Growth Fund, Inc. and Seligman TargetHorizon ETF Portfolios, Inc.,
and Vice President of Seligman Portfolios, Inc. and
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Portfolio Manager of its Seligman Common Stock Portfolio. Prior to joining the
Manager, Mr. Cunningham was, beginning in 2001, a Managing Director, Senior
Portfolio Manager of Salomon Brothers Asset Management ("SBAM") and Group Head
of SBAM's Equity Team. Prior to 2001, he was a Director, Portfolio Manager of
SBAM.
Mr. Michael F. McGarry, a Managing Director of the Manager, is Vice
President and Co-Portfolio Manager of the Corporation. He is also Vice
President and Co-Portfolio Manager of Seligman Common Stock Fund, Inc. and Vice
President of Seligman Portfolios, Inc. and Co-Portfolio Manager of its Seligman
Common Stock Portfolio. Mr. McGarry joined the Manager in August 1990 as an
Institutional Portfolio Administrator and has been a member of the team
managing the Corporation since October 2001.
Mr. Cunningham and Mr. McGarry each have decision-making authority with
respect to the Corporation's investments, although, as team leader of the Core
Investment Team, Mr. Cunningham typically makes the final decisions with
respect to the investments made by the Corporation.
The Corporation's SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio
Managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers and
the Portfolio Managers' ownership of the securities of the Corporation.
The Corporation pays all its expenses other than those assumed by the
Manager, including brokerage commissions, fees and expenses of independent
attorneys and auditors, taxes and governmental fees, cost of stock
certificates, expenses of printing and distributing prospectuses, expenses of
printing and distributing reports, notices and proxy materials to stockholders,
expenses of printing and filing reports and other documents with governmental
agencies, expenses of stockholders' meetings, expenses of corporate data
processing and related services, stockholder record-keeping and stockholder
account services, fees and disbursements of transfer agents and custodians,
expenses of disbursing dividends and distributions, fees and expenses of
directors of the Corporation not employed by the Manager or its affiliates,
insurance premiums, interest on borrowings and extraordinary expenses such as
litigation expenses.
The Management Agreement provides that it will continue in effect until
December 29 of each year if such continuance is approved in the manner required
by the 1940 Act (i.e., by a vote of a majority of the Board of Directors or of
the outstanding voting securities of the Corporation and by a vote of a
majority of Directors who are not parties to the Management Agreement or
interested persons of any such party) and if the Manager shall not have
notified the Corporation at least 60 days prior to December 29 of any year that
it does not desire such continuance. The Management Agreement may be terminated
by the Corporation, without penalty, on 60 days' written notice to the Manager
and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.
CUSTODIAN. State Street Bank and Trust Company serves as custodian for the
Corporation's portfolio securities and is located at 801 Pennsylvania Avenue,
Kansas City, Missouri 64105.
STOCKHOLDER SERVICE AGENT. Seligman Data Corp. serves as stockholder service
agent to the Corporation and is located at 100 Park Avenue, New York, New York
10017.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT REGULATORY MATTERS
In late 2003, the Manager conducted an extensive internal review in response
to public announcements concerning mutual fund trading practices. The following
discussion has been prepared to provide shareholders with important information.
For purposes of this discussion, J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated and its
affiliates and related parties are referred to as "Seligman" or the "Manager,"
and the Seligman registered investment companies are referred to as the
"Seligman Funds."
Q1. HAVE ANY SELIGMAN EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN IMPROPER TRADING?
A. The Manager conducted an internal review of employee trading in shares of
the Seligman Funds in the fall of 2003 and continues to monitor employee
trading in the Seligman Funds. The Manager has not found any improper
trading activity by Seligman employees.
Q2. DOES SELIGMAN HAVE ANY POLICIES RELATING TO EMPLOYEE INVESTMENT IN THE
SELIGMAN FUNDS?
A. A majority of Seligman employees invest in the Seligman Funds, either
directly or through the Seligman 401(k) plans. Trading by employees is
monitored by the Manager's legal department and is subject to the
Manager's Code of Ethics. In addition, unlike many 401(k) plans that
permit daily trading, the Seligman 401(k) plans permit only weekly trading
activity. All Seligman employees have been informed that excessive trading
with respect to the Seligman Funds, or trading in the Seligman Funds based
upon inside information, is inappropriate and may, in certain cases, be
illegal. Employees who engage in inappropriate trading will be subject to
disciplinary action, which may include termination of employment.
Q3. HAS SELIGMAN ENGAGED IN IMPROPER DISCLOSURE OF A FUND'S PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS?
A. The Manager has found no improprieties relating to the disclosure of a
Fund's portfolio holdings. The Manager has not disclosed and does not
disclose a Fund's portfolio holdings prior to public dissemination, unless
such disclosure is made for legitimate business purposes and only if the
Manager believes that such disclosure will not be detrimental to a Fund's
interest. A description of the policies and procedures with respect to the
disclosure of each Fund's portfolio securities is set forth in each Fund's
Statement of Additional Information.
Q4. WHAT IS SELIGMAN'S POLICY WITH REGARD TO RECEIPT OF LATE TRADES (I.E.,
AFTER 4:00 PM EASTERN TIME)?
A. Seligman does not accept late trades directly from Fund shareholders or
prospective shareholders. The large majority of mutual fund trades
submitted to Seligman are from broker-dealer firms and other financial
intermediaries on behalf of their clients. These intermediaries have an
obligation to ensure that trades submitted to the Seligman Funds after
4:00 pm on a trading day for that day's net asset value were, in fact,
received by those entities by 4:00 pm on that day. This applies to all
trades from intermediaries, including those that are transmitted
electronically to Seligman after the market closes. Although the Seligman
Funds and the Manager, like other mutual fund groups, cannot determine the
time at which orders received through financial intermediaries were
placed, the Manager expects mutual fund trades submitted to Seligman by
financial intermediaries to comply with all applicable laws and
regulations. Seligman has contacted every financial intermediary that
offers, sells, or purchases shares of the Seligman Funds in order to
remind all of them of their responsibility to have reasonable policies and
procedures to ensure that they comply with their legal and contractual
obligations.
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The Manager has found no instances of Fund shareholders engaging in late
trading directly with the Seligman Funds. Seligman will cooperate with and
support any governmental or regulatory investigation to identify and hold
accountable any financial intermediary that has submitted orders in
violation of applicable laws or regulations.
Q5. WHAT IS SELIGMAN'S POLICY REGARDING MARKET TIMING?
A. Seligman has policies and procedures in place to restrict trades that, in
its judgment, could prove disruptive in the management of portfolios of
the Seligman Funds. As part of the Manager's procedures, the Manager
frequently rejects trades, issues warning letters, and prohibits accounts
from making further exchanges. Since September 2003, when the first
proceedings relating to trading practices within the mutual fund industry
were publicly announced, Seligman has taken additional steps to strengthen
its policies and procedures. A general description of the Seligman Funds'
policies is set forth in each Fund's prospectus.
Q6. HAS SELIGMAN CONDUCTED AN INTERNAL REVIEW RELATING TO MARKET TIMING?
A. The Manager completed its internal review in the fall of 2003. As of
September 2003, the Manager had one arrangement that permitted frequent
trading. This arrangement was in the process of being closed down by the
Manager before September 2003. Based on a review of the Manager's records
for 2001 through 2003, the Manager identified three other arrangements
that had permitted frequent trading in the Seligman Funds. All three had
already been terminated prior to the end of September 2002. The results of
the Manager's internal review were presented to the Independent Directors
of the Seligman Funds. In order to resolve matters with the Independent
Directors relating to the four arrangements, the Manager in May 2004 paid
approximately $75,000 to Seligman Global Growth Fund, $300,000 to Seligman
Global Smaller Companies Fund and $1.6 million to Seligman Global
Technology Fund in recognition that these global investment funds
presented some potential for time zone arbitrage. The amounts paid by the
Manager represented less than 1/2 of 1% of each such Fund's net asset
value as of the date such payments were made. In addition, with respect to
Seligman Communications and Information Fund and notwithstanding that time
zone arbitrage opportunities did not exist, the Manager, at the request of
the Independent Directors, agreed to waive a portion of its management
fee, amounting to five basis points (0.05%) per annum, for that Fund for a
period of two years commencing on June 1, 2004.
Q7. DOES SELIGMAN DISCLOSE ITS INTERNAL MARKET TIMING CONTROL PROCEDURES?
A. Seligman's market timing control procedures are proprietary. The Manager
believes that disclosing these procedures will reduce their effectiveness.
Q8. WHAT NEW PRACTICES ARE BEING CONSIDERED TO PREVENT MARKET TIMING ABUSES?
A. Like other members of the mutual fund industry, Seligman has considered,
and continues to consider numerous options, including the implementation
of redemption fees. Seligman also has contacted every financial
intermediary that offers, sells, or purchases shares of the Seligman Funds
in order to inform all of them that they must have reasonable policies and
procedures to ensure that they do not knowingly permit or facilitate
excessive trading of the Seligman Funds or knowingly use or facilitate any
methods designed to disguise such trading in the Seligman Funds.
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Q9. IS SELIGMAN INVOLVED WITH ANY FEDERAL OR STATE INVESTIGATION RELATING TO
MARKET TIMING OR LATE TRADING?
A. Since February 2004, Seligman has been in discussion with the New York
staff of the SEC and the Office of the New York Attorney General
("Attorney General") in connection with their review of frequent trading
in certain of the Seligman mutual funds. No late trading is involved. This
review was apparently stimulated by Seligman's voluntary public disclosure
of the foregoing arrangements in January 2004. In March 2005, negotiations
to settle the matter were initiated by the New York staff of the SEC.
After several months of negotiations, tentative agreement was reached,
both with the New York staff of the SEC and the Attorney General, on the
financial terms of a settlement. However, settlement discussions with the
Attorney General ended when the Attorney General sought to impose
operating conditions on Seligman that were unacceptable to Seligman, would
have applied in perpetuity and were not requested or required by the SEC.
Subsequently, the New York staff of the SEC indicated that, in lieu of
moving forward under the terms of the tentative financial settlement, the
staff was considering recommending to the Commissioners of the SEC the
instituting of a formal action against Seligman. Seligman believes that
any action would be both inappropriate and unnecessary, especially in
light of the fact that Seligman previously resolved the underlying issue
with the Independent Directors of the Seligman Funds and made recompense
to the affected Funds.
Immediately after settlement discussions with the Attorney General ended,
the Attorney General issued subpoenas to certain of the Seligman Funds and
their directors. The subpoenas seek various Board materials and
information relating to the deliberations of the Independent Directors as
to the advisory fees paid by the Seligman mutual funds to Seligman.
Seligman has objected to the Attorney General's seeking of such
information and, on September 6, 2005, filed suit in federal district
court seeking to enjoin the Attorney General from pursuing a fee inquiry.
Seligman believes that the Attorney General's inquiry is improper because
Congress has vested exclusive regulatory oversight of investment company
advisory fees in the SEC.
At the end of September 2005, the Attorney General indicated that it
intends to file an action at some point in the future alleging, in
substance, that Seligman permitted other persons to engage in frequent
trading other than the arrangements described above and, as a result, the
prospectus disclosure used by the Seligman Funds is and has been
misleading. Seligman believes any such action would be without merit.
Any resolution of these matters with regulatory authorities may include,
but not be limited to, sanctions, penalties, injunctions regarding
Seligman, restitution to mutual fund shareholders or changes in
procedures. Any penalties or restitution will be paid by Seligman and not
by the Seligman Funds.
Seligman does not believe that the foregoing possible actions or any
threatened legal actions should have a material adverse impact on Seligman
or the Seligman Funds; however, there can be no assurance of this or that
these matters and any related publicity will not result in reduced demand
for shares of the Seligman Funds or other adverse consequences.
Q10. DOES SELIGMAN HAVE ANY MARKET TIMING ARRANGEMENTS AT THE CURRENT TIME?
A. Market timing arrangements in the Seligman Funds have been prohibited. In
addition, Seligman has strengthened existing controls to discourage and
help prevent market timing.
Q11. HAVE ANY EMPLOYEES BEEN DISCIPLINED IN CONNECTION WITH THE MANAGER'S
OVERALL INTERNAL REVIEW?
A. One employee has left Seligman.
17
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
(a) DIVIDEND RIGHTS: Common Stockholders are entitled to receive dividends
only if and to the extent declared by the Board of Directors and only after (i)
such provisions have been made for working capital and for reserves as the
Board may deem advisable, (ii) full cumulative dividends at the rate of $0.625
per share per quarterly dividend period have been paid on the Preferred Stock
for all past quarterly periods and have been provided for the current quarterly
period, and (iii) such provisions have been made for the purchase or for the
redemption (at a price of $55 per share) of the Preferred Stock as the Board
may deem advisable. In any event, no dividend may be declared upon the Common
Stock unless, at the time of such declaration, the net assets of the
Corporation, after deducting the amount of such dividend and the amount of all
unpaid dividends declared on the Preferred Stock, shall be at least equal to
$100 per outstanding share of Preferred Stock. The equivalent figure was
$3,301.31 at February 28, 2006.
(b) VOTING RIGHTS: The Preferred Stock is entitled to two votes and the
Common Stock is entitled to one vote per share at all meetings of stockholders.
In the event of a default in payments of dividends on the Preferred Stock
equivalent to six quarterly dividends, the Preferred Stockholders are entitled,
voting separately as a class to the exclusion of Common Stockholders, to elect
two additional directors, such right to continue until all arrearages have been
paid and current Preferred Stock dividends are provided for. Notwithstanding
any provision of law requiring any action to be taken or authorized by the
affirmative vote of the holders of a designated portion of all the shares or of
the shares of each class, such action shall be effective if taken or authorized
by the affirmative vote of a majority of the aggregate number of the votes
entitled to vote thereon, except that a class vote of Preferred Stockholders is
also required to approve certain actions adversely affecting their rights. Any
change in the Corporation's fundamental policies may also be authorized by the
vote of 67% of the votes present at a meeting if the holders of a majority of
the aggregate number of votes entitled to vote are present or represented by
proxy.
Consistent with the requirements of Maryland law, the Corporation's Charter
provides that the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the aggregate number of
votes entitled to be cast thereon shall be necessary to authorize any of the
following actions: (i) the dissolution of the Corporation; (ii) a merger or
consolidation of the Corporation (in which the Corporation is not the surviving
corporation) with (a) an open-end investment company or (b) a closed-end
investment company, unless such closed-end investment company's Articles of
Incorporation require a two-thirds or greater proportion of the votes entitled
to be cast by such company's stock to approve the types of transactions covered
by clauses (i) through (iv) of this paragraph; (iii) the sale of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Corporation to any person (as such term
is defined in the 1940 Act); or (iv) any amendment of the Charter of this
Corporation which makes any class of the Corporation's stock a redeemable
security (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) or reduces the two-thirds
vote required to authorize the actions listed in this paragraph. This could
have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing changes in control of the
Corporation.
(c) LIQUIDATION RIGHTS: In the event of any voluntary or involuntary
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, after payment to the
Preferred Stockholders of an amount equal to $50 per share plus dividends
accrued or in arrears, the Common Stockholders are entitled, to the exclusion
of the Preferred Stockholders, to share ratably in all the remaining assets of
the Corporation available for distribution to stockholders.
(d) OTHER PROVISIONS: Common Stockholders do not have preemptive,
subscription or conversion rights, and are not liable for further calls or
assessments. The Corporation's Board of Directors (other than any directors
18
who may be elected to represent Preferred Stockholders as described above) are
classified as nearly as possible into three equal classes with a maximum
three-year term so that the term of one class of directors expires annually.
Such classification provides continuity of experience and stability of
management while providing for the election of a portion of the Board of
Directors each year. Such classification could have the effect of delaying,
deferring or preventing changes in control of the Corporation.
The Board of Directors may classify or reclassify any unissued stock of any
class with or without par value (including Preferred Stock and Common Stock)
into one or more classes of preference stock on a parity with, but not having
preference or priority over, the Preferred Stock by fixing or altering before
the issuance thereof the designations, preferences, voting powers, restrictions
and qualifications of, the fixed annual dividends on, the times and prices of
redemption, the terms of conversion, the number and/or par value of the shares
and other provisions of such stock to the full extent permitted by the laws of
Maryland and the Corporation's Charter. Stockholder approval of such action is
not required.
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
The Corporation's Charter and Warrant certificates provide that each Warrant
represents the right during an unlimited time to purchase one share of Common
Stock at a price of $22.50 per share, subject to increase in the number of
shares purchasable and adjustment of the price payable pursuant to provisions
of the Charter requiring such adjustments whenever the Corporation issues any
shares of Common Stock at a price less than the Warrant purchase price in
effect immediately prior to issue. Each Warrant presently entitles the holder
to purchase 22.50 shares of Common Stock at $1.00 per share. There were 12,082
Warrants outstanding at February 28, 2006. Fractional shares of Common Stock
are not issued upon the exercise of Warrants. In lieu thereof, the Corporation
issues scrip certificates representing corresponding fractions of the right to
receive a full share of Common Stock if exchanged by the end of the second
calendar year following issuance or of the proceeds of the sale of a full share
if surrendered during the next four years thereafter.
COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
Net asset value of the Common Stock is determined daily, Monday through
Friday, as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange
(normally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) each day the New York Stock Exchange is open
for trading.
Net asset value per share of Common Stock is determined by dividing the
current value of the assets of the Corporation less its liabilities and the
prior claim of the Preferred Stock by the total number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding.
Generally, securities owned by the Corporation are valued at the last sale
price on the securities exchange or securities market on which such securities
primarily are traded. Securities not listed on an exchange or security market
or for which there is no last sales price are valued at the mean of the most
recent bid and asked price, or by the Manager based on quotations provided by
primary market makers in such securities. If the Manager concludes that the
most recently reported (or closing) price of a security held by the Corporation
is no longer valid or reliable, or such price is otherwise unavailable, the
Manager will value the security at its fair value as
19
determined in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Directors.
This can occur in the event of, among other things, natural disasters, acts of
terrorism, market disruptions, intra-day trading halts or extreme market
volatility. Short-term holdings maturing in 60 days or less are generally
valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less.
Short-term holdings with more than 60 days remaining to maturity will be valued
at current market value until the 61st day prior to maturity, and will then be
valued on an amortized cost basis based on the value of such date unless the
Board determines that this amortized cost value does not represent fair market
value.
All assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies will be
converted into U.S. dollars by a pricing service based upon the mean of the bid
and asked prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar quoted by a major
bank which is a regular participant in the institutional foreign exchange
markets.
DIVIDEND POLICY AND TAXES
DIVIDENDS: Dividends are paid quarterly on the Preferred Stock and on the
Common Stock in amounts representing substantially all of the net investment
income earned each year. Payments on the Preferred Stock are in a fixed amount,
but payments on the Common Stock vary in amount, depending on investment income
received and expenses of operation. Substantially all of any taxable net gain
realized on investments is paid to Common Stockholders at least annually in
accordance with requirements under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, and other applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. At
December 31, 2005, the Corporation had a net capital loss carry-forward for
federal income tax purposes of $285,514,996, which is available for offset
against future taxable net capital gains with $248,552,472 expiring in 2010 and
$36,962,524 expiring in 2011. Accordingly, no capital gain distributions are
expected to be paid to stockholders until net capital gains have been realized
in excess of the available capital loss carry-forward.
Unless SDC is otherwise instructed by you, dividends on the Common Stock are
paid in cash and capital gain distributions are paid in book shares of Common
Stock which are entered in your Tri-Continental account as "book credits."
Long-term gain distributions ordinarily are paid in shares of Common Stock, or,
at your option, 75% in book shares and 25% in cash, or, in the alternative,
100% in cash. Shares distributed in payment of gain distributions are valued at
market price or at net asset value, whichever is lower, on the valuation date.
Distributions or dividends received by you will have the effect of reducing the
net asset value of the shares of the Corporation by the amount of such
distributions. If the net asset value of shares is reduced below your cost by a
distribution, the distribution will be taxable as described below even though
it is in effect a return of capital.
TAXES: The Corporation intends to continue to qualify and elect to be
treated as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. As a
regulated investment company, the Corporation will generally be exempt from
federal income taxes on net ordinary income and capital gains that it
distributes to stockholders, provided that at least 90% of its net ordinary
income and net short-term capital gains are distributed to stockholders each
year.
Qualification does not, of course, involve governmental supervision of
management or investment practices or policies. Investors should consult their
own counsel for a complete understanding of the requirements the
20
Corporation must meet to qualify for such treatment. The information set forth
below relates solely to the U.S. Federal income taxes on dividends and
distributions by the Corporation and assumes that the Corporation qualifies as
a regulated investment company.
Dividends on Common or Preferred Stock representing net investment income
and distributions from the excess of net short-term capital gains over net
long-term capital losses are taxable to stockholders as ordinary income,
whether received in cash or invested in additional shares. To the extent
designated as derived from the Corporation's dividend income that would be
eligible for the dividends received deduction if the Corporation were not a
regulated investment company, they are eligible, subject to certain
restrictions, for the 70% dividends received deduction for corporations.
Distributions of net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital
gains over any net short-term capital losses) are taxable as long-term capital
gain, whether received in cash or invested in additional shares, regardless of
how long you have held your shares. The tax rate on net long-term capital gains
for individuals is reduced generally from 20% to 15% (5% for individuals in
lower tax brackets) for such gain held for more than one year and realized
before January 1, 2009. Such distributions are not eligible for the dividends
received deduction allowed to corporate stockholders. If you receive
distributions in the form of additional shares issued by the Corporation, you
will be treated for federal income tax purposes as having received a
distribution in an amount equal to the fair market value on the date of
distribution of the shares received.
Dividends declared in October, November or December, payable to stockholders
of record on a specified date in such a month and paid in the following January
will be treated as having been paid by the Corporation and received by each
stockholder in December. Under this rule, therefore, stockholders may be taxed
in one year on dividends or distributions actually received in January of the
following year.
The Corporation is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the
underdistribution of amounts required to be paid pursuant to a prescribed
formula. The formula requires payment to stockholders during a calendar year of
distributions representing at least 98% of the Corporation's ordinary income
for the calendar year, at least 98% of its capital gain net income realized
during the one-year period ending October 31 during such year, and all ordinary
income and capital gain net income for prior years that was not previously
distributed. The Corporation intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed
distributions of its ordinary income and capital gain net income prior to the
end of each calendar year to avoid liability for the excise tax.
Any gain or loss you realize upon a sale or redemption of Common or
Preferred Stock will generally be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss
if you held your shares for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain
or loss if you held your shares for one year or less. Individual stockholders
will be subject to federal income tax on net capital gains at a maximum rate of
15% in respect of shares held for more than one year and disposed of before
January 1, 2009. Net capital gain of a corporate stockholder is taxed at the
same rate as ordinary income. However, if shares on which a long-term capital
gain distribution has been received are subsequently sold or redeemed and such
shares have been held for six months or less, (after taking into account
certain hedging transactions), any loss you realize will be treated as
long-term capital loss to the extent that it offsets the long-term capital gain
distribution. No loss will be allowed on the sale or other disposition of
shares of the Corporation if, within a period beginning 30 days before the date
of such sale or disposition and ending 30 days after such date, you acquire
(such as through the Automatic Dividend Investment and Cash Purchase Plan), or
enter into a contract or option to acquire, securities that are substantially
identical to the shares of the Corporation.
21
The tax treatment of the Corporation and of stockholders under the tax laws
of the various states may differ from the federal tax treatment. You are urged
to consult your own tax advisor regarding specific questions as to federal,
state or local taxes, including questions regarding the alternative minimum tax.
THE CORPORATION IS REQUIRED TO WITHHOLD AND REMIT TO THE U.S. TREASURY A
PORTION OF TAXABLE DIVIDENDS AND OTHER REPORTABLE PAYMENTS PAID ON YOUR ACCOUNT
IF YOU PROVIDE THE CORPORATION WITH EITHER AN INCORRECT TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION
NUMBER (THIS IS YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FOR INDIVIDUALS) OR NO NUMBER AT
ALL OR YOU FAIL TO CERTIFY THAT YOU ARE NOT SUBJECT TO SUCH WITHHOLDING. YOU
SHOULD BE AWARE THAT, UNDER REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE
SERVICE, THE CORPORATION MAY BE FINED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR EACH ACCOUNT FOR
WHICH A CERTIFIED TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IS NOT PROVIDED. THE
CORPORATION MAY CHARGE YOU A SERVICE FEE EQUAL TO SUCH FINE FOR ACCOUNTS NOT
HAVING A CERTIFIED TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. CERTIFICATES WILL NOT BE
ISSUED UNLESS AN ACCOUNT IS CERTIFIED.
INVESTMENT PLANS AND OTHER SERVICES
AUTOMATIC DIVIDEND INVESTMENT AND CASH PURCHASE PLAN
The Automatic Dividend Investment and Cash Purchase Plan is available for
any Common stockholder who wishes to purchase additional shares of the
Corporation's Common Stock with dividends or other cash payments on shares
owned, with cash dividends paid by other corporations in which stock is owned
or with cash funds. The tax treatment of dividends and capital gain
distributions is the same whether you take them in cash or reinvest them to buy
additional shares of the Corporation. Details of the services offered under the
Plan are given in the Authorization Form appearing in this Prospectus. Under
the Plan, you appoint the Corporation as your purchase agent to receive or
invest such dividends and cash funds forwarded by you for your accounts in
additional shares of the Corporation's Common Stock (after deducting a service
charge), as described under "Method of Purchase" below. Funds forwarded by you
under the Plan should be made payable to Tri-Continental Corporation and mailed
to Tri-Continental Corporation, P.O. Box 9766, Providence, RI 02940-9766.
Checks for investment must be in U.S. dollars drawn on a domestic bank. Credit
card convenience checks and third party checks (i.e., checks made payable to a
party other than Tri-Continental Corporation) may not be used to purchase
shares under this Plan. You should direct all correspondence concerning the
Plan to Seligman Data Corp., 100 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017. At present, a
service fee of up to a maximum of $2.00 will be charged for each cash purchase
transaction. There is no charge for Automatic Dividend Investment. As of
February 28, 2006, 19,806 stockholders, owning approximately 29,900,825 shares
of Common Stock, were using the Plan. You may choose one or more of the
services under the Plan and you may change your choices (or terminate
participation) at any time by notifying SDC in writing. The Plan may be amended
or terminated by written notice to Planholders.
AUTOMATIC CHECK SERVICE
The Automatic Check Service enables you, if you are an Automatic Dividend
Investment and Cash Purchase Planholder, to authorize checks to be drawn on
your regular checking account at regular intervals for fixed amounts to be
invested in additional shares of Common Stock for your account. An
Authorization Form to be used to start the Automatic Check Service is included
in this Prospectus.
22
SHARE KEEPING SERVICE
You may send certificates for shares of the Corporation's Common Stock to
SDC to be placed in your account. Certificates should be sent to Seligman Data
Corp., 101 Sabin Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860-1427, with a letter requesting
that they be placed in your account. You should not sign the certificates and
they should be sent by certified or registered mail. Return receipt is
advisable; however, this may increase mailing time. When your certificates are
received by SDC, the shares will be entered in your Tri-Continental account as
"book credits" and shown on the Statement of Account received from SDC. If you
use the Share Keeping Service you should keep in mind that you must have a
stock certificate for delivery to a broker if you wish to sell shares. A
certificate will be issued and sent to you on your written request to SDC,
usually within two business days of the receipt of your request. You should
consider the time it takes for a letter to arrive at SDC and for a certificate
to be delivered to you by mail before you choose to use this service.
TAX-DEFERRED RETIREMENT PLANS
Shares of the Corporation may be purchased for:
--Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) (available to current stockholders
only);
--Savings Incentive Match Plans for Employees (SIMPLE IRAs);
--Simplified Employee Pension Plans (SEPs);
--Section 401(k) Plans for corporations and their employees; and
--Money Purchase Pension and Profit Sharing Plans for sole proprietorships,
partnerships and corporations.
These types of plans may be established only upon receipt of a written
application form. The Corporation may register an IRA investment for which an
account application has not been received as an ordinary taxable account.
For more information, write Retirement Plan Services, Seligman Data Corp.,
100 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017. You may telephone toll-free by dialing
(800) 445-1777 in the United States.
State Street Bank and Trust Company acts as trustee and custodian and
performs other related services with respect to the Plans.
J. & W. SELIGMAN & CO. INCORPORATED MATCHED ACCUMULATION PLAN
The Manager has a Matched Accumulation Plan ("Profit-Sharing Plan") which
provides that, through payroll deductions which may be combined with matching
contributions and through any profit sharing distribution made by the Manager
to the Profit-Sharing Plan, eligible employees of the Manager, Seligman
Advisors, Inc. and Seligman Services, Inc. may designate that the payroll
deductions and contributions made by the Manager and invested by the Plan
trustee, be invested in certain investment companies for which the Manager
serves as investment adviser. One such fund consists of Common Stock of the
Corporation purchased by the trustee as described under "Method of Purchase."
23
SELIGMAN DATA CORP. EMPLOYEES' THRIFT PLAN
SDC has an Employees' Thrift Plan ("Thrift Plan") which provides a
systematic means by which savings, through payroll deductions, of eligible
employees of SDC may be combined with matching contributions made by the
company and invested by the Plan trustee, in certain investment companies for
which the Manager serves as investment adviser, as designated by the employee.
One such fund consists of Common Stock of the Corporation purchased by the
trustee as described under "Method of Purchase."
METHOD OF PURCHASE
Purchases will be made by the Corporation from time to time on the New York
Stock Exchange or elsewhere to satisfy dividend and cash purchase investments
under the Automatic Dividend Investment and Cash Purchase Plan, tax-deferred
retirement plans, and the investment plans noted above. Purchases will be
suspended on any day when the closing price (or closing bid price if there were
no sales) of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the preceding
trading day was higher than the net asset value per share (without adjustment
for the exercise of Warrants remaining outstanding). If on the dividend payable
date or the date shares are issuable to stockholders making Cash Purchase
investments under the Plan (the "Issuance Date"), shares previously purchased
by the Corporation are insufficient to satisfy dividend or Cash Purchase
investments and on the last trading day immediately preceding the dividend
payable date or the Issuance Date the closing sale or bid price of the Common
Stock is lower than or the same as the net asset value per share, the
Corporation will continue to purchase shares until a number of shares
sufficient to cover all investments by stockholders has been purchased or the
closing sale or bid price of the Common Stock becomes higher than the net asset
value, in which case the Corporation will issue the necessary additional
shares. If on the last trading date immediately preceding the dividend payable
date or Issuance Date, the closing sale or bid price of the Common Stock was
higher than the net asset value per share, and if shares of the Common Stock
previously purchased on the New York Stock Exchange or elsewhere are
insufficient to satisfy dividend or Cash Purchase investments, the Corporation
will issue the necessary additional shares from authorized but unissued shares
of the Common Stock.
Shares will be issued on the dividend payable date or the Issuance Date at a
price equal to the lower of (1) the closing sale or bid price, plus commission,
of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the ex-dividend date or
Issuance Date or (2) the greater of the net asset value per share of the Common
Stock on such trading day (without adjustment for the exercise of Warrants
remaining outstanding) and 95% of the closing sale or bid price of the Common
Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on such trading day. In the past, the
Common Stock ordinarily has been priced in the market at less than net asset
value per share.
The net proceeds to the Corporation from the sale of any shares of Common
Stock to the Plans will be added to its general funds and will be available for
additional investments and general corporate purposes. The Manager anticipates
that investment of any proceeds, in accordance with the Corporation's
investment objective and policies, will take up to thirty days from their
receipt by the Corporation, depending on market conditions and the availability
of appropriate securities, but in no event will such investment take longer
than six months. Pending such investment in accordance with the Corporation's
objective and policies, the proceeds will be held in U.S. Government Securities
(which term includes obligations of the United States Government, its agencies
or instrumentalities) and other short-term money market instruments.
If you are participating in the Automatic Dividend Investment and Cash
Purchase Plan and your shares are held under the Plan in book credit form, you
may terminate your participation in the Plan and receive a certificate
24
for all or a part of your shares or have all or a part of your shares sold for
you by the Corporation and retain unsold shares in book credit form or receive
a certificate for any shares not sold. Instructions must be signed by all
registered stockholders and should be sent to Seligman Data Corp., 101 Sabin
Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860-1427. If you elect to have shares sold, you will
receive the proceeds from the sale, less any brokerage commissions. Only
participants whose shares are held in book credit form may elect upon
termination of their participation in the Plan to have shares sold in the above
manner. All other stockholders of the Corporation must sell shares through a
registered broker/dealer. As an additional measure to protect you and the
Corporation, SDC may confirm written instructions by telephone before sending
your money when the value of the shares being sold is $25,000 or more, or when
proceeds are directed to be paid to an address or payee different from that on
our records. This will not affect the date on which your instruction to sell
shares is actually processed. Whenever the value of the shares being sold is
$50,000 or more, or the proceeds are to be paid or mailed to an address or
payee different from that on our records, the signature of all stockholders
must be guaranteed by an eligible financial institution including, but not
limited to, the following: banks, trust companies, credit unions, securities
brokers and dealers, savings and loan associations and participants in the
Securities Transfer Association Medallion Program, the Stock Exchanges
Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program.
Notarization by a notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantee. The
Corporation reserves the right to reject a signature guarantee where it is
believed that the Corporation will be placed at risk by accepting such
guarantee.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN
This Plan is available if you wish to receive fixed payments from your
investment in the Common Stock in any amount at specified regular intervals.
You may start a Systematic Withdrawal Plan if your shares of the Corporation's
Common Stock have a market value of $5,000 or more. Shares must be held in your
account as book credits. SDC will act for you, make payments to you in
specified amounts on either the 1st or 15th day of each month, as designated by
you, and maintain your account. There is a charge by the agent of $1.00 per
withdrawal payment for this service. This charge may be changed from time to
time.
Payments under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan will be made by selling
exactly enough full and fractional shares of Common Stock to cover the amount
of the designated withdrawal. Sales may be made on the New York Stock Exchange,
to the agent or a trustee for one of the other Plans, or elsewhere. Payments
from sales of shares will reduce the amount of capital at work and dividend
earning ability, and ultimately may liquidate the investment. Sales of shares
may result in gain or loss for income tax purposes. Withdrawals under this Plan
or any similar withdrawal plan of any other investment company, concurrent with
purchases of shares of the Common Stock or of shares of any other investment
company, will ordinarily be disadvantageous to the Planholder because of the
payment of duplicative commission or sales loads.
STOCKHOLDER INFORMATION
SDC maintains books and records for all of the Plans, and confirms
transactions to stockholders. To insure prompt delivery of checks, account
statements and other information, you should notify SDC immediately, in
writing, of any address changes. If you close your account during any year it
is important that you notify SDC of any subsequent address changes to ensure
that you receive a year-end statement and tax information for that year. You
will be sent reports quarterly regarding the Corporation. General information
about the Corporation may be requested by writing the Corporate
Communications/Investor Relations Department, J. & W. Seligman & Co.
25
Incorporated, 100 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017 or by telephoning the
Corporate Communications/Investor Relations Department toll-free at (800)
221-7844 in the U.S. You may call (212) 850-1864 outside the U.S. Information
about your account (other than a retirement plan account), may be requested by
writing Stockholder Services, Seligman Data Corp., at the same address or by
telephone by dialing toll-free (800) 874-1092 in the U.S. or 212-682-7600
outside the U.S. For information about a retirement account, call Retirement
Plan Services toll-free at (800) 445-1777 or write Retirement Plan Services,
Seligman Data Corp. at the above address. SDC may be telephoned Monday through
Friday (except holidays) between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern
time. Your call will be answered by a service representative.
24-HOUR AUTOMATED TELEPHONE ACCESS IS AVAILABLE BY DIALING (800) 622-4597
(WITHIN THE UNITED STATES) ON A TOUCHTONE TELEPHONE, WHICH PROVIDES INSTANT
ACCESS TO PRICE, ACCOUNT BALANCE, MOST RECENT TRANSACTION AND OTHER
INFORMATION. IN ADDITION, YOU MAY REQUEST ACCOUNT STATEMENTS AND FORM 1099-DIV.
ISSUANCE OF SHARES IN CONNECTION WITH ACQUISITIONS
The Corporation may issue shares of its Common Stock in exchange for the
assets of another investment company in transactions in which the number of
shares of Common Stock of the Corporation to be delivered will be generally
determined by dividing the current value of the seller's assets by the current
per share net asset value or market price on the New York Stock Exchange of the
Common Stock of the Corporation, or by an intermediate amount. In such
acquisitions, the number of shares of the Corporation's Common Stock to be
issued will not be determined on the basis of the market price of such Common
Stock if such price is lower than its net asset value per share, except
pursuant to an appropriate order of the Securities and Exchange Commission or
approval by stockholders of the Corporation, as required by law. The
Corporation is not presently seeking to acquire the assets of any investment
company, but it may acquire the assets of companies from time to time in the
future.
Some or all of the stock so issued may be sold from time to time by the
recipients or their stockholders through brokers in ordinary transactions on
stock exchanges at current market prices. The Corporation has been advised that
such sellers may be deemed to be underwriters as that term is defined in the
1933 Act.
26
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional Investment Policies...................................................................... 2
Directors and Officers.............................................................................. 5
Management of the Corporation....................................................................... 12
Portfolio Managers.................................................................................. 12
Holdings of Preferred Stock, Common Stock and Warrants.............................................. 14
Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices............................................................ 15
Financial Statements................................................................................ 16
Custodian, Stockholder Service Agent and Dividend Paying Agent and Experts.......................... 16
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Financial Highlights--Senior Securities--
$2.50 Cumulative Preferred Stock.................................................................. 17
27
[LOGO] Tri-Continental
Corporation AUTHORIZATION
FORM
To: Seligman Data Corp. FOR
P.O. Box 9759
Providence, Rhode AUTOMATIC
Island 02940-9759 DIVIDEND
INVESTMENT
AND
CASH
PURCHASE
PLAN
.
AUTOMATIC
DIVIDEND
INVESTMENT
.
AUTOMATIC
INVESTMENT
OF
OTHER
CORPORATIONS'
DIVIDENDS
.CASH
PURCHASE
PLAN
.
AUTOMATIC
CHECK
SERVICE
Date.....................
Gentlemen:
I own shares of Tri-Continental Corporation Common Stock registered as shown
below:
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION
-------------------------------------------------------
Stockholder's Name (print Stockholder's Signature*
or type)
-------------------------------------------------------
Co-Holder's Name Co-Holder's Signature*
-------------------------------------------------------
Address (street and Taxpayer Identification
number) Number
-------------------------------------------------------
City State Zip Code.. Stockholder Account
Number, if known
* If shares are held or to be held in more than one name, all must sign, and
plural pronouns will be implied in the text. In the case of co-holders, a
joint tenancy with right of survivorship will be presumed unless otherwise
specified.
Under penalties of perjury I certify that the number shown on this form is
my correct Taxpayer Identification Number (Social Security Number) and that I
am not subject to backup withholding either because I have not been notified
that I am subject to backup withholding as a result of failure to report all
interest or dividends, or the Internal Revenue Service has notified me that I
am no longer subject to backup withholding. I certify to my legal capacity to
purchase or sell shares of the Corporation for my own Account, or for the
Account of the organization named above. I have received a current Prospectus
of the Corporation and appoint Seligman Data Corp. as my agent to act in
accordance with my instructions herein.
----- -----------------------
Date Stockholder's Signature
I have read the Terms and Conditions of the Automatic Dividend Investment
and Cash Purchase Plan and the current Prospectus, a copy of which I have
received, and I wish to establish a Plan to use the Services checked below:
SERVICE(S) DESIRED
[_] AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT OF TRI-CONTINENTAL DIVIDENDS
I wish to have my quarterly dividends invested in additional shares, and
distributions from gains paid as follows:
[_] Credited to my account in additional full and fractional shares.
[_] Credited 75% to my account in shares and 25% paid to me in cash.
[_] AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT OF OTHER CORPORATION'S DIVIDENDS
I intend to give orders for the payment of cash dividends from other
corporations to be invested in shares of Tri-Continental Common Stock for
my account.
Note: Checks in payment of dividends from other corporations should
indicate your name and Tri-Continental account number. The checks should be
made payable to the order of Tri-Continental Corporation and be mailed to
Seligman Data Corp., P.O. Box 9766, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9766.
[_] CASH PURCHASES
I intend to send funds from time to time to be invested in shares of
Tri-Continental Common Stock for my account.
Note: Your checks should indicate your name and Tri-Continental account
number. Make all checks payable to Tri-Continental Corporation and mail to
Seligman Data Corp., P.O. Box 9766, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9766.
[_] AUTOMATIC CHECK SERVICE
I have completed the Authorization Form to have pre-authorized checks drawn
on my regular checking account at regular intervals for investment in
shares of Tri-Continental Common Stock.
5/06
28
[LOGO] Tri-Continental
Corporation AUTHORIZATION
FORM
FOR
AUTOMATIC CHECK SERVICE
To start your Automatic Check Service, fill out this
form and forward it with an unsigned bank check from
your regular checking account (marked "void") to:
Seligman Data Corp.
P.O. Box 9759
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9759
Date.................
Gentlemen:
I own shares of Tri-Continental Corporation
Common Stock, registered as shown below, which are
entered in the Automatic Dividend Investment and
Cash Purchase Plan.
1. Stockholder Account Number (if known) ____________
2. AUTOMATIC CHECK SERVICE
Please arrange with my bank to draw pre-authorized
checks on my regular checking account and invest
$__________________ in shares of Tri-Continental
Common Stock every:
[_] month
[_] 3
months
I have completed the "Bank Authorization to Honor
Pre-Authorized Checks" which appears below and
have enclosed one of my bank checks marked "void."
I understand that my checks will be invested on
the fifth day of the month and that I must
remember to deduct the amount of my investment as
it is made from my checking account balance.
BANK AUTHORIZATION TO HONOR PRE-AUTHORIZED CHECKS
To: _________________________________________________
(Name of Bank)
___________________________________________________
(Address of Bank or Branch, Street, City, State
and Zip)
Please honor pre-authorized checks drawn on my
account by Seligman Data Corp., 100 Park Avenue, New
York, NY 10017, to the order of Tri-Continental
Corporation, and charge them to my checking account.
Your authority to do so shall continue until you
receive written notice from me revoking it. You may
terminate your participation in this arrangement at
any time by written notice to me. I agree that your
rights with respect to each pre-authorized check
shall be the same as if it were a check drawn and
signed by me. I further agree that should any such
check be dishonored, with or without cause,
intentionally or inadvertently, you shall be held
under no liability whatsoever.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Checking Account No.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name(s) of Signature(s) of
Depositor(s)--Please Print Depositor(s)--As carried
by Bank
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address (Street)
City
State
Zip Code
5/06
29
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30
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The Automatic Dividend Investment and Cash Purchase Plan provides
Tri-Continental Common stockholders with four ways to add to their investments:
1) with Tri-Continental dividends and distributions, 2) with cash dividends
from other corporations, 3) with cash payments, in any amount at any time, and
4) with cash provided by pre-authorized checks through the Automatic Check
Service. A Planholder may use any or all of these Services, subject to the
following terms and conditions:
1. Seligman Data Corp. ("SDC"), as Plan service agent, will maintain
accounts and confirm to Planholders, as soon as practicable after each
investment, the number of shares of Common Stock acquired and credited to the
accounts and the cost. Tri-Continental Corporation (the "Corporation"), as
purchase agent, will purchase shares for Planholders. All checks for dividends
payable by other corporations or for cash purchase payments sent by Planholders
for investment in additional shares of Tri-Continental Common Stock should be
drawn to the order of Tri-Continental Corporation and mailed to Seligman Data
Corp., P.O. Box 9766, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9766.
2. Funds received by the Corporation for a Planholder will be combined with
funds of other Planholders and those funds may be combined with funds available
under the other Plans for the purchase of Tri-Continental Common Stock in order
to minimize brokerage commissions on shares purchased. Shares will be purchased
in accordance with the current Prospectus. Dividends from other corporations
and purchase cash received from Planholders or through the Automatic Check
Service will be invested at least once each 30 days.
3. Shares will be issued under the Plan in accordance with the current
Prospectus.
4. No stock certificates will be delivered for shares acquired unless the
Plan account is terminated or the Planholder requests their delivery by writing
to SDC. The shares acquired will be held in each Planholder's account as book
credits.
5. Certificates held by a Planholder, or subsequently received, may be sent
to SDC for credit to a Plan account. A certificate for any full shares held in
a Plan account will be issued at a Planholder's request. The time required to
obtain a certificate to sell through a broker, or for other purposes, will be
that needed to send a written request to SDC to withdraw the certificate
(normally two business days) and to mail the certificate to the Planholder
through the U.S. Postal Service.
6. A maximum service charge of $2.00 will be deducted before each investment
is made for a Plan account. There is no charge for Automatic Dividend
Investment.
7. Applications for the Automatic Check Service are subject to acceptance by
the Planholder's bank and SDC. SDC will prepare Automatic Check Service checks
with the same magnetic ink numbers that are on a Planholder's check and will
arrange with the Planholder's bank to start the Service in accordance with the
Planholder's instructions. A minimum of 30 days from the date of receipt of an
application by SDC is required to contact the bank and initiate the Service. If
for any reason the bank is unable to honor a pre-authorized check request, the
Planholder will be notified promptly.
Shares with a market value of at least two times the amount of the
authorized checks must be held as book credits for the Planholder's account by
SDC. If any check is dishonored or if the value of shares held by SDC in an
account falls below the required minimum, the Service may be suspended. The
Service may be reinstated upon written request by the Planholder including an
indication that the cause of the interruption has been corrected.
If a Planholder's check is not honored by the Planholder's bank at any time,
SDC is authorized to sell exactly enough full and fractional shares from the
Planholder's account to equal the amount of the dishonored check.
8. A Planholder or SDC may terminate a Plan account at any time upon notice
in writing before the record date of a dividend or distribution by
Tri-Continental. A Plan account will terminate automatically if the Planholder
sells or transfers all of the shares in the Plan account. If a Plan account is
terminated, a certificate for the full shares held may be issued and sent to
the Planholder, and any fractional shares may be liquidated at the Planholder's
request. Terminating Planholders may elect to have all or part of their shares
sold by the Corporation, if their shares are held in book credit form. If a
Plan account is terminated between the record and payment dates of a dividend,
the dividend payment will be made in cash.
9. In acting under this Plan, the Corporation and SDC will be liable only
for willful misfeasance or gross negligence.
10. A Planholder may adopt or suspend one or more of the Plan Services by
sending a revised Authorization Form or notice in writing to SDC.
11. All additional shares registered in a Planholder's name which are
acquired under one or more of the Plan Services or by other means will
participate automatically in each of the Plan services elected.
31
[LOGO] Tri-Continental Corporation
an investment you can live with
INVESTMENT MANAGER
J. & W. Seligman & Co.
Incorporated
STOCKHOLDER
SERVICE AGENT
Seligman Data Corp.
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
CUSTODIAN
State Street Bank and
Trust Company
GENERAL COUNSEL
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
---------
Listed on the
New York Stock Exchange
TY
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