BNY Mellon Variable Investment Fund

04/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/30/2024 07:37

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497K

Untitled Document

BNY Mellon Variable Investment Fund: Growth and Income Portfolio

Summary Prospectus | May 1, 2024

Initial Shares
Service Shares

Before you invest, you may want to review the fund's prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund's prospectus and other information about the fund, including the statement of additional information and most recent reports to shareholders, online at www.im.bnymellon.com/variable. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-373-9387 (inside the U.S. only) or by sending an e-mail request to [email protected]. The fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, dated May 1, 2024 (each as revised or supplemented), are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus.

Investment Objective

The fund seeks long-term capital growth, current income and growth of income consistent with reasonable investment risk.

Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and examples below. These figures also do not reflect any fees or charges imposed by participating insurance companies under their Variable Annuity contracts (VA contracts) or Variable Life Insurance policies (VLI policies), and, if such fees and/or charges were included, the fees and expenses would be higher.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Initial Shares

Service Shares

Management fees

.75

.75

Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees

none

.25

Other expenses

.18

.18

Total annual fund operating expenses

.93

1.18

Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement*

(.23)

(.23)

Total annual fund operating expenses (after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement)

.70

.95

* The fund's investment adviser, BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc., has contractually agreed, until May 1, 2025, to waive receipt of its fees and/or assume the direct expenses of the fund so that the direct expenses of neither class of fund shares (excluding Rule 12b-1 fees, taxes, interest expense, brokerage commissions, commitment fees on borrowings and extraordinary expenses) exceed .70%. On or after May 1, 2025, BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc. may terminate this expense limitation agreement at any time.

Example

The Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses incurred under VA contracts and VLI policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. The one-year example and the first year of the three-, five- and ten-years examples are based on net operating expenses, which reflect the expense limitation agreement by BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

Initial Shares

$72

$273

$492

$1,122

Service Shares

$97

$352

$627

$1,411

Portfolio Turnover

The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses


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or in the Example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 50.51% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategy

To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests primarily in common stocks of domestic and foreign issuers. The fund's sub-adviser, Newton Investment Management North America, LLC, an affiliate of BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc., seeks to create a portfolio for the fund that includes a blend of growth and dividend-paying stocks, as well as other investments that provide income. The sub-adviser chooses stocks through a disciplined investment process that combines computer modeling techniques, bottom-up fundamental analysis and risk management. The fund's investment process is designed to provide investors with investment exposure to sector weightings and risk characteristics similar to those of the S&P 500® Index.

In selecting securities, the fund's sub-adviser seeks companies that possess some or all of the following characteristics: growth of earnings potential; operating margin improvement; revenue growth prospects; business improvement; good business fundamentals; dividend yield consistent with the fund's strategy pertaining to income; value, or how a stock is priced relative to its perceived intrinsic worth; and healthy financial profile, which measures the financial wellbeing of the company.

The fund's sub-adviser monitors the positions in the fund's portfolio, and considers selling a security if the company's business momentum deteriorates or valuation becomes excessive. The fund also may sell a security if an event occurs that contradicts the sub-adviser's rationale for owning it, such as deterioration in the company's financial fundamentals. In addition, the fund may sell a security if the sub-adviser determines a better investment opportunity emerges elsewhere, or if the sub-adviser changes the fund's industry or sector weightings.

Principal Risks

An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. It is not a complete investment program. The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.

·Risks of stock investing. Stocks generally fluctuate more in value than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is the chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and falling prices. The market value of a stock may decline due to general market conditions or because of factors that affect the particular company or the company's industry.

·Growth stock risk. Investors often expect growth companies to increase their earnings at a certain rate. If these expectations are not met, investors can punish the stocks inordinately, even if earnings do increase. In addition, growth stocks may lack the dividend yield that may cushion stock prices in market downturns.

·Dividend-paying stock risk. There is no guarantee that the issuers of the stocks held by the fund will pay dividends in the future or that, if dividends are paid, they will remain at their current levels or increase over time. The focus on dividend-paying stocks could cause the fund to underperform similar funds that invest without consideration of a company's track record of paying dividends or ability to pay dividends in the future.

·Market risk. The value of the securities in which the fund invests may be affected by political, regulatory, economic and social developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed-income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the fund. Global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies world-wide.

·Foreign investment risk. To the extent the fund invests in foreign securities, the fund's performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting investments in foreign issuers. Special risks associated with investments in foreign issuers include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, less developed or less efficient trading markets, lack of comprehensive company information, political and economic instability and differing auditing and legal standards.

·Liquidity risk. When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities, it can become more difficult to sell the securities in a timely manner at or near their perceived value. In such a market, the value of such securities and the fund's share price may fall dramatically. Investments that are illiquid or that trade in lower volumes may be more difficult to value. Investments in foreign securities tend to have greater exposure to liquidity risk than domestic securities.

·Management risk. The investment process used by the fund's sub-adviser could fail to achieve the fund's investment goal and cause your fund investment to lose value.

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Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the fund's Initial shares from year to year. The table compares the average annual total returns of the fund's shares to those of a broad measure of market performance. The fund's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future. Performance for each share class will vary due to differences in expenses. More recent performance information may be available at www.im.bnymellon.com.

Performance information reflects the fund's expenses only and does not reflect the fees and charges imposed by participating insurance companies under their VA contracts or VLI policies. Because these fees and charges will reduce total return, policyowners should consider them when evaluating and comparing the fund's performance. Policyowners should consult the prospectus for their contract or policy for more information.

Year-by-Year Total Returnsas of 12/31 each year (%)
Initial Shares

During the periods shown in the chart:

Best Quarter
Q2, 2020: 24.88%

Worst Quarter
Q1, 2020: -21.80%

Average Annual Total Returns (as of 12/31/23)

1 Year

5 Years

10 Years

Initial Shares

26.69%

16.89%

11.84%

Service Shares

26.35%

16.59%

11.57%

S&P 500® Index reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes

26.27%

15.68%

12.02%

Portfolio Management

The fund's investment adviser is BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc. (BNYM Investment Adviser). BNYM Investment Adviser has engaged its affiliate, Newton Investment Management North America, LLC (NIMNA), to serve as the fund's sub-adviser.

John C. Bailer, CFA, Karen Behr, Brian C. Ferguson, Keith Howell, and John R. Porter III are the fund's primary portfolio managers. Mr. Bailer has been a primary portfolio manager of the fund since September 2008 and is Deputy Head of Equity Income and a portfolio manager at NIMNA. Ms. Behr has been a primary portfolio manager of the fund since September 2021 and is a portfolio manager at NIMNA. Mr. Ferguson has been a primary portfolio manager of the fund since May 2020 and is a portfolio manager at NIMNA. Mr. Howell has been a primary portfolio manager of the fund since September 2021 and is a portfolio manager at NIMNA. Mr. Porter has been a primary portfolio manager of the fund since October 2021 and is Chief Investment Officer and Head of Equity at NIMNA.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Fund shares are offered only to separate accounts established by insurance companies to fund VA contracts and VLI policies. Individuals may not purchase shares directly from, or place sell orders directly with, the fund. The VA contracts and the VLI policies are described in the separate prospectuses issued by the participating insurance companies, over which the fund assumes no responsibility. Policyowners should consult the prospectus of the separate account of the participating insurance company for more information about buying, selling (redeeming) or exchanging fund shares.

Tax Information

The fund's distributions are taxable as ordinary income or capital gains. Since the fund's shareholders are the participating insurance companies and their separate accounts, the tax treatment of dividends and distributions will depend on the tax status of the participating insurance company. Accordingly, no discussion is included as to the federal personal income tax consequences

Growth and Income Portfolio Summary

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to policyowners. For this information, policyowners should consult the prospectus of the separate account of the participating insurance company or their tax advisers.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as an insurance company), the fund's distributor and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. To the extent that the intermediary may receive lesser or no payments in connection with the sale of other investments, the payments from the fund's distributor and its related companies may create a potential conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial representative to recommend the fund over the other investments. This potential conflict of interest may be addressed by policies, procedures or practices adopted by the financial intermediary. As there may be many different policies, procedures or practices adopted by different intermediaries to address the manner in which compensation is earned through the sale of investments or the provision of related services, the compensation rates and other payment arrangements that may apply to a financial intermediary and its representatives may vary by intermediary. Ask your financial representative or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

This prospectus does not constitute an offer or solicitation in any state or jurisdiction in which, or to any person to whom, such offering or solicitation may not lawfully be made.

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