American Funds Insurance Series
04/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/30/2024 11:26
Summary Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497K
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American Funds Insurance Series® Managed Risk Washington Mutual Investors Fund
Summary prospectus May 1, 2024 |
| Before you invest, you may want to review the fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, which contain more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund's prospectus, statement of additional information, reports to shareholders and other information about the fund online at capitalgroup.com/afis. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 421-9900, ext. 65413 or by sending an email request to [email protected]. The current prospectus and statement of additional information, dated May 1, 2024, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. |
Investment objective The fund's investment objective is to produce income and to provide an opportunity for growth of principal consistent with sound common stock investing while seeking to manage volatility and provide downside protection.
Fees and expenses of the fundThis table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell an interest in Class P1 shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as insurance contract fees and expenses, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.If insurance contract fees and expenses were reflected, expenses shown would be higher.
| Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | Class P1 |
| Management fees | 0.15% |
| Distribution fees | None |
| Other expenses | 0.28 |
| Acquired (underlying) fund fees and expenses | 0.26 |
| Total annual fund operating expenses | 0.69 |
| Fee waiver* | 0.05 |
| Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver | 0.64 |
*The investment adviser is currently waiving a portion of its management fee equal to .05% of the fund's net assets. This waiver will be in effect through at least May 1, 2025. The waiver may only be modified or terminated with the approval of the fund's board.
Example This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in Class P1 shares of 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 redeem or hold 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 insurance contract expenses. If insurance contract expenses were reflected, expenses shown would be higher. The example reflects the fee waiver described above through the expiration date of such waiver and total annual fund operating expenses thereafter. No sales charge (load) or other fees are charged by the fund upon redemption, so you would incur these hypothetical costs whether or not you were to redeem your shares at the end of the given period. 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 | |
| Class P1 | $65 | $216 | $379 | $854 |
Portfolio turnover The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities and other instruments (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's investment results. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 19% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies The fund pursues its investment objective by investing in shares of two underlying funds, the American Funds Insurance Series - Washington Mutual Investors Fund (the "Washington Mutual Investors Fund") and the American Funds Insurance Series - U.S. Government Securities Fund (the "Government Fund") - while seeking to manage portfolio volatility and provide downside protection primarily through the use of exchange-traded options and futures contracts.
The fund normally seeks to invest 85% of its assets in the Washington Mutual Investors Fund. The investment objective of the Washington Mutual Investors Fund is to produce income and to provide an opportunity for growth of principal consistent with sound common stock investing. The Washington Mutual Investors Fund invests primarily in common stocks of established companies that are listed on, or meet the financial listing requirements of, the New York Stock Exchange and have a strong record of earnings and dividends. The Washington Mutual Investors Fund strives to accomplish its objective through fundamental research, careful selection and broad diversification. In the selection of common stocks and other securities for investment, current and potential income as well as the potential for long-term capital appreciation are considered. The Washington Mutual Investors Fund seeks to provide an above-average yield in its quarterly income distribution in relation to the S&P 500 Index (a broad unmanaged index). The Washington Mutual Investors Fund strives to maintain a fully invested, diversified portfolio, consisting primarily of high-quality common stocks. The Washington Mutual Investors Fund has an "Eligible List" of securities considered appropriate for a prudent investor seeking opportunities for income and growth of principal consistent with common stock investing. The investment adviser generates and maintains the Eligible List and selects the fund's investments exclusively from the securities on the Eligible List.
The fund invests the remainder of its assets in the Government Fund and in cash, financial futures and options as part of the managed risk strategy. The Government Fund's investment objective is to provide a high level of current income consistent with prudent investment risk and preservation of capital. The Government Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in securities that are guaranteed or sponsored by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bonds and other debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars, which may be represented by derivatives. The Government Fund may also invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by federal agencies and instrumentalities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
The fund's investment in the Government Fund seeks to provide a level of diversification across multiple asset classes. Because different asset classes often react differently to changes in market conditions, such diversification seeks to manage the fund's risk to market changes, including stock market declines. Additionally, the fund employs a risk-management overlay referred to in this prospectus as the managed risk strategy. The managed risk strategy consists of using hedge instruments - primarily exchange-traded futures contracts and/or exchange-traded put options - to attempt to stabilize the volatility of the fund around a target volatility level and to seek to reduce the downside exposure of the fund. The fund employs a subadviser to select individual put options and futures contracts on equity indexes of U.S. markets and markets outside the United States that the subadviser believes are correlated to the underlying fund's equity exposure.
1 American Funds Insurance Series - Managed Risk Washington Mutual Investors Fund / Summary prospectus
These instruments are selected based on the subadviser's analysis of the relation of various equity indexes to the underlying fund's portfolio. In addition, the subadviser will monitor liquidity levels of relevant options and futures contracts and transparency provided by exchanges as the counterparties in hedging transactions. The target volatility level will be set from time to time by the investment adviser and the subadviser and may be adjusted if deemed advisable in the judgment of the investment adviser and the subadviser. The subadviser may also seek to hedge the fund's currency risk related to its exposure to equity index options and futures denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
A futures contract on an index is an agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash linked to the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract. Though similar, an option on an index gives one party the contractual right (but not the obligation) to take or make delivery of an amount of cash linked to the value of the underlying index. Because such instruments derive their respective values from the price of an underlying index, both options and futures contracts are considered derivatives. A long position in an equity index put option and a short position in an equity index futures contract are both expected to gain in value when the underlying index declines, and lose value when the underlying index rises.
The subadviser regularly adjusts the level of exchange-traded options and futures contracts held by the fund to seek to manage the fund's overall net risk level. In situations of extreme market volatility, the subadviser will tend to use exchange-traded equity index options and/or futures more heavily, as such investments could significantly reduce the fund's net economic exposure to equity securities. Even in periods of low volatility in the equity markets, however, the subadviser will continue to employ exchange-traded equity index put options to seek to preserve gains after favorable market conditions and to reduce losses in adverse market conditions. During such periods of low equity market volatility, the subadviser may also continue to use exchange-traded equity index futures contracts for hedging purposes, though it need not necessarily do so. In certain market conditions, the fund may also purchase exchange-traded equity index call options, write or sell exchange-traded equity index put and call options and/or take net long positions in exchange-traded equity index futures contracts.
The fund is nondiversified, which allows it to invest a greater percentage of its assets in any one issuer than would otherwise be the case. However, through the underlying funds, the fund owns a diversified mix of securities.
Principal risks This section describes the principal risks associated with investing in the fund. You may lose money by investing in the fund. The likelihood of loss may be greater if you invest for a shorter period of time. Investors in the fund should also understand that the fund's objective of protecting against downside losses may result in the fund not realizing the full gains of the underlying funds. In addition, the managed risk strategy may not effectively protect the fund from market declines.
Fund structure - The fund invests in underlying funds and incurs expenses related to those underlying funds. In addition, investors in the fund will incur fees to pay for certain expenses related to the operations of the fund. An investor holding the underlying funds directly would incur lower overall expenses but would not receive the benefit of the managed risk strategy. Additionally, in accordance with an exemption under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the investment adviser considers only proprietary funds when selecting underlying investment options and allocations. This means that the fund's investment adviser does not, nor does it expect to, consider any unaffiliated funds as underlying investment options for the fund. This strategy could raise certain conflicts of interest when determining the overall asset allocation of the fund or choosing underlying investments for the fund, including the selection of funds that result in greater compensation to the adviser or funds with relatively lower historical investment results. The investment adviser has policies and procedures designed to mitigate material conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with its management of the fund.
Underlying fund risks - Because the fund's investments consist of investments in underlying funds, the fund's risks are directly related to the risks of those underlying funds. For this reason, it is important to understand the risks associated with investing both in the fund and in each of the underlying funds.
Investing in derivatives - The use of derivatives involves a variety of risks, which may be different from, or greater than, the risks associated with investing in traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate or index, and a derivative instrument may cause the fund or an underlying fund to lose significantly more than its initial investment. Derivatives may be difficult to value, difficult for the fund or an underlying fund to buy or sell at an opportune time or price and difficult, or even impossible, to terminate or otherwise offset. A fund's use of derivatives may result in losses to the fund, and investing in derivatives may reduce the fund's returns and increase the fund's price volatility. A fund's counterparty to a derivative transaction (including, if applicable, the fund's clearing broker, the derivatives exchange or the clearinghouse) may be unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations in respect of the transaction. In certain cases, the fund or an underlying fund may be hindered or delayed in exercising remedies against or closing out derivative instruments with a counterparty, which may result in additional losses. Derivatives are also subject to operational risk (such as documentation issues, settlement issues and systems failures) and legal risk (such as insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of a counterparty, and issues with the legality or enforceability of a contract).
Investing in options and futures contracts - In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in derivative instruments, options and futures contracts are subject to the creditworthiness of the clearing organizations, exchanges and, in the case of futures, futures commission merchants with which the fund transacts. While both options and futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions, options and futures may be deemed to be illiquid. For example, the fund may be temporarily prohibited from closing out its position in an options or futures contract if intraday price change limits or limits on trading volume imposed by the applicable exchange are triggered. If the fund is unable to close out a position on an options or futures contract, the fund would remain subject to the risk of adverse price movements until the fund is able to close out the position in question. The ability of the fund to successfully utilize options and futures contracts may depend in part upon the ability of the fund's investment adviser or subadviser to accurately forecast interest rates and other economic factors and to assess and predict the impact of such economic factors on the options and futures in which the fund invests. If the investment adviser or subadviser incorrectly forecasts economic developments or incorrectly
American Funds Insurance Series - Managed Risk Washington Mutual Investors Fund / Summary prospectus 2
predicts the impact of such developments on the options and futures in which it invests, the fund could suffer losses. Whereas the risk of loss on a put option purchased by the fund is limited to the initial cost of the option, the amount of a potential loss on a futures contract could greatly exceed the relatively small initial amount invested in entering the futures position.
Hedging - There may be imperfect or even negative correlation between the prices of the options and futures contracts in which the fund invests and the prices of the underlying securities or indexes which the fund seeks to hedge. For example, options and futures contracts may not provide an effective hedge because changes in options and futures contract prices may not track those of the underlying securities or indexes they are intended to hedge. In addition, there are significant differences between the securities market, on the one hand, and the options and futures markets, on the other, that could result in an imperfect correlation between the markets, causing a given hedge not to achieve its objectives. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends on circumstances such as variations in speculative market demand for options and futures, including technical influences in options and futures trading, and differences between the financial instruments being hedged and the instruments underlying the standard contracts available for trading. A decision as to whether, when and how to hedge involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected interest rate trends. In addition, the fund's investment in exchange-traded options and futures and their resulting costs could limit the fund's gains in rising markets relative to those of the underlying funds, or to those of unhedged funds in general.
Short positions - The fund may suffer losses from short positions in futures contracts. Losses from short positions in futures contracts occur when the underlying index increases in value. As the underlying index increases in value, the holder of the short position in the corresponding futures contract is required to pay the difference in value of the futures contract resulting from the increase in the index on a daily basis. Losses from a short position in an index futures contract could potentially be very large if the value of the underlying index rises dramatically in a short period of time.
Market conditions - The prices of, and the income generated by, the securities held by an underlying fund may decline - sometimes rapidly or unpredictably - due to various factors, including events or conditions affecting the general economy or particular industries or companies; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; governmental, governmental agency or central bank responses to economic conditions; changes in inflation rates; and currency exchange rate, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations.
Economies and financial markets throughout the world are highly interconnected. Economic, financial or political events, trading and tariff arrangements, wars, terrorism, cybersecurity events, natural disasters, public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious disease), bank failures and other circumstances in one country or region, including actions taken by governmental or quasi-governmental authorities in response to any of the foregoing, could have impacts on global economies or markets. As a result, whether or not an underlying fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to the countries affected, the value and liquidity of an underlying fund's investments may be negatively affected by developments in other countries and regions.
Issuer risks - The prices of, and the income generated by, securities held by an underlying fund may decline in response to various factors directly related to the issuers of such securities, including reduced demand for an issuer's goods or services, poor management performance, major litigation, investigations or other controversies related to the issuer, changes in the issuer's financial condition or credit rating, changes in government regulations affecting the issuer or its competitive environment and strategic initiatives such as mergers, acquisitions or dispositions and the market response to any such initiatives. An individual security may also be affected by factors relating to the industry or sector of the issuer or the securities markets as a whole, and conversely an industry or sector or the securities markets may be affected by a change in financial condition or other event affecting a single issuer.
Investing in income-oriented stocks - The value of the underlying fund's securities and income provided by the underlying fund may be reduced by changes in the dividend policies of, and the capital resources available for dividend payments at, the companies in which the underlying fund invests.
Investing in growth-oriented stocks - Growth-oriented common stocks and other equity-type securities (such as preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks and convertible bonds) may involve larger price swings and greater potential for loss than other types of investments. These risks may be even greater in the case of smaller capitalization stocks.
Investing in securities backed by the U.S. government - Securities backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. Accordingly, the current market values for these securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates and the credit rating of the U.S. government. Notwithstanding that these securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, circumstances could arise that would prevent or delay the payment of interest or principal on these securities, which could adversely affect their value and cause the fund to suffer losses. Such an event could lead to significant disruptions in U.S. and global markets. Securities issued by U.S. government-sponsored entities and federal agencies and instrumentalities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. government. U.S. government securities are subject to market risk, interest rate risk and credit risk.
Management - The investment adviser to the fund and to the underlying funds actively manages each underlying fund's investments. Consequently, each underlying fund is subject to the risk that the methods and analyses, including models, tools and data, employed by the investment adviser in this process may be flawed or incorrect and may not produce the desired results. In addition, the fund is subject to the risk that the managed risk strategy or the methods employed by the subadviser in implementing the managed risk strategy may not produce the desired results. The occurrence of either or both of these events could cause the fund to lose value or its investment results to lag relevant benchmarks or other funds with similar objectives.
3 American Funds Insurance Series - Managed Risk Washington Mutual Investors Fund / Summary prospectus
Your investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, entity or person. You should consider how this fund fits into your overall investment program.
Investment resultsThe following bar chart shows how the investment results of the Class P1 shares of the fund have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund's average annual total returns for various periods compare with a broad measure of securities market results. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. Past investment results (before and after taxes) are not predictive of future investment results. Figures shown reflect fees and expenses associated with an investment in the fund, but do not reflect insurance contract fees and expenses. If insurance contract fees and expenses were included, results would have been lower. The results for the years shown prior to May 1, 2021 reflect the operation of the fund as Managed Risk Blue Chip Income and Growth Fund. Accordingly, results for such periods may not be representative of the fund's results had the fund been operated under its current strategy during the entire period. Updated information on the fund's investment results can be obtained by visiting capitalgroup.com/afis.
| Average annual total returnsFor the periods ended December 31, 2023: | 1 year | 5 years | 10 years | Lifetime |
| Fund (inception date - 5/1/13) | 10.04% | 5.89% | 5.08% | 5.89% |
| S&P 500 Managed Risk Index - Moderate (reflects no deduction for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes) | 16.81 | 8.77 | 7.36 | 7.99 |
American Funds Insurance Series - Managed Risk Washington Mutual Investors Fund / Summary prospectus 4
Management
Investment adviser Capital Research and Management Company
Subadviser Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC
Portfolio managers The individuals primarily responsible for the management of the fund are:
|
Portfolio manager/ Series title (if applicable) |
Portfolio manager experience in this fund |
Primary title with investment adviser |
| Samir Mathur | Less than 1 year | Partner - Capital Solutions Group |
| Justin Toner | 1 year | Partner - Capital World Investors |
Subadviser portfolio managers The individuals who are jointly and primarily responsible for the management of the fund's managed risk strategy are:
| Portfolio manager |
Portfolio manager experience in this fund |
Primary title with subadviser |
| Jeff Greco | 11 years |
Senior Director - Head of Strategy Research, Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC |
| Adam Schenck | 11 years |
Managing Director - Head of Fund Services, Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC |
| Maria Schiopu | 11 years |
Managing Director- Head of Portfolio Management, Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC |
Portfolio managers of the underlying funds The individuals primarily responsible for the portfolio management of the Washington Mutual Investors Fund are:
|
Portfolio manager/ Series title (if applicable) |
Portfolio manager experience in the Washington Mutual Investors Fund |
Primary title with investment adviser |
| Aline Avzaradel | 3 years | Partner - Capital International Investors |
| Alan N. Berro Co-President | 7 years | Partner - Capital World Investors |
| Mark L. Casey | 3 years | Partner - Capital International Investors |
| Irfan M. FurniturewalaSenior Vice President | 3 years | Partner - Capital International Investors |
| Emme Kozloff | 3 years | Partner - Capital World Investors |
| Jin Lee | 3 years | Partner - Capital World Investors |
| Eric H. Stern | 3 years | Partner - Capital International Investors |
| Diana Wagner | 3 years | Partner - Capital World Investors |
| Alan J. WilsonSenior Vice President | 3 years | Partner - Capital World Investors |
The individuals primarily responsible for the portfolio management of the Government Fund are:
|
Portfolio manager/ Series title (if applicable) |
Portfolio manager experience in the Government Fund |
Primary title with investment adviser |
| David J. Betanzos | 9 years | Partner - Capital Fixed Income Investors |
| Fergus N. MacDonald | 14 years | Partner - Capital Fixed Income Investors |
| Ritchie Tuazon | 9 years | Partner - Capital Fixed Income Investors |
Purchase and sale of fund shares Shares of the fund are not sold directly to the general public. The fund is offered only as an underlying investment option for variable insurance contracts, and insurance company separate accounts and qualified feeder funds - and not the holders of variable insurance contracts - are the shareholders of the fund. Although the fund does not require a minimum amount for initial or subsequent purchases from insurance companies, your insurance company may impose investment minimums for your purchase of the fund.
You may sell (redeem) shares on any business day. You must sell (redeem) shares through your insurance company.
Tax information See your variable insurance contract prospectus for information regarding the federal income tax treatment of your variable insurance contract and related distributions.
Payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediariesThe fund is not sold directly to the general public but instead is offered as an underlying investment option for variable insurance contracts. The fund and its related companies may make payments to the sponsoring insurance company (or its affiliates) for distribution and/or other services. These payments may be a factor that the insurance company considers in including the fund as an underlying investment option in the variable insurance contract. The prospectus (or other offering document) for your variable insurance contract may contain additional information about these payments.
| You can access the fund's statutory prospectus or SAI at capitalgroup.com/afis. | |
| INP1IPX-087-0524P Printed in USA CGD/AFD/8024 | Investment Company File No. 811-03857 |
|
American Funds Insurance Series® Managed Risk Washington Mutual Investors Fund
Summary prospectus May 1, 2024 |
| Before you invest, you may want to review the fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, which contain more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund's prospectus, statement of additional information, reports to shareholders and other information about the fund online at capitalgroup.com/afis. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 421-9900, ext. 65413 or by sending an email request to [email protected]. The current prospectus and statement of additional information, dated May 1, 2024, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. |
Investment objective The fund's investment objective is to produce income and to provide an opportunity for growth of principal consistent with sound common stock investing while seeking to manage volatility and provide downside protection.
Fees and expenses of the fundThis table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell an interest in Class P2 shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as insurance contract fees and expenses, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.If insurance contract fees and expenses were reflected, expenses shown would be higher.
| Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | Class P2 |
| Management fees | 0.15% |
| Distribution (12b-1) fees | 0.25 |
| Other expenses | 0.28 |
| Acquired (underlying) fund fees and expenses | 0.26 |
| Total annual fund operating expenses | 0.94 |
| Fee waiver* | 0.05 |
| Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver | 0.89 |
*The investment adviser is currently waiving a portion of its management fee equal to .05% of the fund's net assets. This waiver will be in effect through at least May 1, 2025. The waiver may only be modified or terminated with the approval of the fund's board.
Example This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in Class P2 shares of 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 redeem or hold 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 insurance contract expenses. If insurance contract expenses were reflected, expenses shown would be higher. The example reflects the fee waiver described above through the expiration date of such waiver and total annual fund operating expenses thereafter. No sales charge (load) or other fees are charged by the fund upon redemption, so you would incur these hypothetical costs whether or not you were to redeem your shares at the end of the given period. 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 | |
| Class P2 | $91 | $295 | $515 | $1,150 |
Portfolio turnover The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities and other instruments (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's investment results. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 19% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies The fund pursues its investment objective by investing in shares of two underlying funds, the American Funds Insurance Series - Washington Mutual Investors Fund (the "Washington Mutual Investors Fund") and the American Funds Insurance Series - U.S. Government Securities Fund (the "Government Fund") - while seeking to manage portfolio volatility and provide downside protection primarily through the use of exchange-traded options and futures contracts.
The fund normally seeks to invest 85% of its assets in the Washington Mutual Investors Fund. The investment objective of the Washington Mutual Investors Fund is to produce income and to provide an opportunity for growth of principal consistent with sound common stock investing. The Washington Mutual Investors Fund invests primarily in common stocks of established companies that are listed on, or meet the financial listing requirements of, the New York Stock Exchange and have a strong record of earnings and dividends. The Washington Mutual Investors Fund strives to accomplish its objective through fundamental research, careful selection and broad diversification. In the selection of common stocks and other securities for investment, current and potential income as well as the potential for long-term capital appreciation are considered. The Washington Mutual Investors Fund seeks to provide an above-average yield in its quarterly income distribution in relation to the S&P 500 Index (a broad unmanaged index). The Washington Mutual Investors Fund strives to maintain a fully invested, diversified portfolio, consisting primarily of high-quality common stocks. The Washington Mutual Investors Fund has an "Eligible List" of securities considered appropriate for a prudent investor seeking opportunities for income and growth of principal consistent with common stock investing. The investment adviser generates and maintains the Eligible List and selects the fund's investments exclusively from the securities on the Eligible List.
The fund invests the remainder of its assets in the Government Fund and in cash, financial futures and options as part of the managed risk strategy. The Government Fund's investment objective is to provide a high level of current income consistent with prudent investment risk and preservation of capital. The Government Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in securities that are guaranteed or sponsored by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bonds and other debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars, which may be represented by derivatives. The Government Fund may also invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by federal agencies and instrumentalities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
The fund's investment in the Government Fund seeks to provide a level of diversification across multiple asset classes. Because different asset classes often react differently to changes in market conditions, such diversification seeks to manage the fund's risk to market changes, including stock market declines. Additionally, the fund employs a risk-management overlay referred to in this prospectus as the managed risk strategy. The managed risk strategy consists of using hedge instruments - primarily exchange-traded futures contracts and/or exchange-traded put options - to attempt to stabilize the volatility of the fund around a target volatility level and to seek to reduce the downside exposure of the fund. The fund employs a subadviser to select individual put options and futures contracts on equity indexes of U.S. markets and markets outside the United States that the subadviser believes are correlated to the underlying fund's equity exposure.
1 American Funds Insurance Series - Managed Risk Washington Mutual Investors Fund / Summary prospectus
These instruments are selected based on the subadviser's analysis of the relation of various equity indexes to the underlying fund's portfolio. In addition, the subadviser will monitor liquidity levels of relevant options and futures contracts and transparency provided by exchanges as the counterparties in hedging transactions. The target volatility level will be set from time to time by the investment adviser and the subadviser and may be adjusted if deemed advisable in the judgment of the investment adviser and the subadviser. The subadviser may also seek to hedge the fund's currency risk related to its exposure to equity index options and futures denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
A futures contract on an index is an agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash linked to the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract. Though similar, an option on an index gives one party the contractual right (but not the obligation) to take or make delivery of an amount of cash linked to the value of the underlying index. Because such instruments derive their respective values from the price of an underlying index, both options and futures contracts are considered derivatives. A long position in an equity index put option and a short position in an equity index futures contract are both expected to gain in value when the underlying index declines, and lose value when the underlying index rises.
The subadviser regularly adjusts the level of exchange-traded options and futures contracts held by the fund to seek to manage the fund's overall net risk level. In situations of extreme market volatility, the subadviser will tend to use exchange-traded equity index options and/or futures more heavily, as such investments could significantly reduce the fund's net economic exposure to equity securities. Even in periods of low volatility in the equity markets, however, the subadviser will continue to employ exchange-traded equity index put options to seek to preserve gains after favorable market conditions and to reduce losses in adverse market conditions. During such periods of low equity market volatility, the subadviser may also continue to use exchange-traded equity index futures contracts for hedging purposes, though it need not necessarily do so. In certain market conditions, the fund may also purchase exchange-traded equity index call options, write or sell exchange-traded equity index put and call options and/or take net long positions in exchange-traded equity index futures contracts.
The fund is nondiversified, which allows it to invest a greater percentage of its assets in any one issuer than would otherwise be the case. However, through the underlying funds, the fund owns a diversified mix of securities.
Principal risks This section describes the principal risks associated with investing in the fund. You may lose money by investing in the fund. The likelihood of loss may be greater if you invest for a shorter period of time. Investors in the fund should also understand that the fund's objective of protecting against downside losses may result in the fund not realizing the full gains of the underlying funds. In addition, the managed risk strategy may not effectively protect the fund from market declines.
Fund structure - The fund invests in underlying funds and incurs expenses related to those underlying funds. In addition, investors in the fund will incur fees to pay for certain expenses related to the operations of the fund. An investor holding the underlying funds directly would incur lower overall expenses but would not receive the benefit of the managed risk strategy. Additionally, in accordance with an exemption under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the investment adviser considers only proprietary funds when selecting underlying investment options and allocations. This means that the fund's investment adviser does not, nor does it expect to, consider any unaffiliated funds as underlying investment options for the fund. This strategy could raise certain conflicts of interest when determining the overall asset allocation of the fund or choosing underlying investments for the fund, including the selection of funds that result in greater compensation to the adviser or funds with relatively lower historical investment results. The investment adviser has policies and procedures designed to mitigate material conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with its management of the fund.
Underlying fund risks - Because the fund's investments consist of investments in underlying funds, the fund's risks are directly related to the risks of those underlying funds. For this reason, it is important to understand the risks associated with investing both in the fund and in each of the underlying funds.
Investing in derivatives - The use of derivatives involves a variety of risks, which may be different from, or greater than, the risks associated with investing in traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate or index, and a derivative instrument may cause the fund or an underlying fund to lose significantly more than its initial investment. Derivatives may be difficult to value, difficult for the fund or an underlying fund to buy or sell at an opportune time or price and difficult, or even impossible, to terminate or otherwise offset. A fund's use of derivatives may result in losses to the fund, and investing in derivatives may reduce the fund's returns and increase the fund's price volatility. A fund's counterparty to a derivative transaction (including, if applicable, the fund's clearing broker, the derivatives exchange or the clearinghouse) may be unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations in respect of the transaction. In certain cases, the fund or an underlying fund may be hindered or delayed in exercising remedies against or closing out derivative instruments with a counterparty, which may result in additional losses. Derivatives are also subject to operational risk (such as documentation issues, settlement issues and systems failures) and legal risk (such as insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of a counterparty, and issues with the legality or enforceability of a contract).
Investing in options and futures contracts - In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in derivative instruments, options and futures contracts are subject to the creditworthiness of the clearing organizations, exchanges and, in the case of futures, futures commission merchants with which the fund transacts. While both options and futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions, options and futures may be deemed to be illiquid. For example, the fund may be temporarily prohibited from closing out its position in an options or futures contract if intraday price change limits or limits on trading volume imposed by the applicable exchange are triggered. If the fund is unable to close out a position on an options or futures contract, the fund would remain subject to the risk of adverse price movements until the fund is able to close out the position in question. The ability of the fund to successfully utilize options and futures contracts may depend in part upon the ability of the fund's investment adviser or subadviser to accurately forecast interest rates and other economic factors and to assess and predict the impact of such economic factors on the options and futures in which the fund invests. If the investment adviser or subadviser incorrectly forecasts economic developments or incorrectly
American Funds Insurance Series - Managed Risk Washington Mutual Investors Fund / Summary prospectus 2
predicts the impact of such developments on the options and futures in which it invests, the fund could suffer losses. Whereas the risk of loss on a put option purchased by the fund is limited to the initial cost of the option, the amount of a potential loss on a futures contract could greatly exceed the relatively small initial amount invested in entering the futures position.
Hedging - There may be imperfect or even negative correlation between the prices of the options and futures contracts in which the fund invests and the prices of the underlying securities or indexes which the fund seeks to hedge. For example, options and futures contracts may not provide an effective hedge because changes in options and futures contract prices may not track those of the underlying securities or indexes they are intended to hedge. In addition, there are significant differences between the securities market, on the one hand, and the options and futures markets, on the other, that could result in an imperfect correlation between the markets, causing a given hedge not to achieve its objectives. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends on circumstances such as variations in speculative market demand for options and futures, including technical influences in options and futures trading, and differences between the financial instruments being hedged and the instruments underlying the standard contracts available for trading. A decision as to whether, when and how to hedge involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected interest rate trends. In addition, the fund's investment in exchange-traded options and futures and their resulting costs could limit the fund's gains in rising markets relative to those of the underlying funds, or to those of unhedged funds in general.
Short positions - The fund may suffer losses from short positions in futures contracts. Losses from short positions in futures contracts occur when the underlying index increases in value. As the underlying index increases in value, the holder of the short position in the corresponding futures contract is required to pay the difference in value of the futures contract resulting from the increase in the index on a daily basis. Losses from a short position in an index futures contract could potentially be very large if the value of the underlying index rises dramatically in a short period of time.
Market conditions - The prices of, and the income generated by, the securities held by an underlying fund may decline - sometimes rapidly or unpredictably - due to various factors, including events or conditions affecting the general economy or particular industries or companies; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; governmental, governmental agency or central bank responses to economic conditions; changes in inflation rates; and currency exchange rate, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations.
Economies and financial markets throughout the world are highly interconnected. Economic, financial or political events, trading and tariff arrangements, wars, terrorism, cybersecurity events, natural disasters, public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious disease), bank failures and other circumstances in one country or region, including actions taken by governmental or quasi-governmental authorities in response to any of the foregoing, could have impacts on global economies or markets. As a result, whether or not an underlying fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to the countries affected, the value and liquidity of an underlying fund's investments may be negatively affected by developments in other countries and regions.
Issuer risks - The prices of, and the income generated by, securities held by an underlying fund may decline in response to various factors directly related to the issuers of such securities, including reduced demand for an issuer's goods or services, poor management performance, major litigation, investigations or other controversies related to the issuer, changes in the issuer's financial condition or credit rating, changes in government regulations affecting the issuer or its competitive environment and strategic initiatives such as mergers, acquisitions or dispositions and the market response to any such initiatives. An individual security may also be affected by factors relating to the industry or sector of the issuer or the securities markets as a whole, and conversely an industry or sector or the securities markets may be affected by a change in financial condition or other event affecting a single issuer.
Investing in income-oriented stocks - The value of the underlying fund's securities and income provided by the underlying fund may be reduced by changes in the dividend policies of, and the capital resources available for dividend payments at, the companies in which the underlying fund invests.
Investing in growth-oriented stocks - Growth-oriented common stocks and other equity-type securities (such as preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks and convertible bonds) may involve larger price swings and greater potential for loss than other types of investments. These risks may be even greater in the case of smaller capitalization stocks.
Investing in securities backed by the U.S. government - Securities backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. Accordingly, the current market values for these securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates and the credit rating of the U.S. government. Notwithstanding that these securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, circumstances could arise that would prevent or delay the payment of interest or principal on these securities, which could adversely affect their value and cause the fund to suffer losses. Such an event could lead to significant disruptions in U.S. and global markets. Securities issued by U.S. government-sponsored entities and federal agencies and instrumentalities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. government. U.S. government securities are subject to market risk, interest rate risk and credit risk.
Management - The investment adviser to the fund and to the underlying funds actively manages each underlying fund's investments. Consequently, each underlying fund is subject to the risk that the methods and analyses, including models, tools and data, employed by the investment adviser in this process may be flawed or incorrect and may not produce the desired results. In addition, the fund is subject to the risk that the managed risk strategy or the methods employed by the subadviser in implementing the managed risk strategy may not produce the desired results. The occurrence of either or both of these events could cause the fund to lose value or its investment results to lag relevant benchmarks or other funds with similar objectives.
3 American Funds Insurance Series - Managed Risk Washington Mutual Investors Fund / Summary prospectus
Your investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, entity or person. You should consider how this fund fits into your overall investment program.
Investment resultsThe following bar chart shows how the investment results of the Class P2 shares of the fund have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund's average annual total returns for various periods compare with a broad measure of securities market results. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. Past investment results (before and after taxes) are not predictive of future investment results. Figures shown reflect fees and expenses associated with an investment in the fund, but do not reflect insurance contract fees and expenses. If insurance contract fees and expenses were included, results would have been lower. The results for the years shown prior to May 1, 2021 reflect the operation of the fund as Managed Risk Blue Chip Income and Growth Fund. Accordingly, results for such periods may not be representative of the fund's results had the fund been operated under its current strategy during the entire period. Updated information on the fund's investment results can be obtained by visiting capitalgroup.com/afis.
| Average annual total returnsFor the periods ended December 31, 2023: | 1 year | 5 years | 10 years | Lifetime |
| Fund (inception date - 5/1/13) | 9.73% | 5.59% | 4.73% | 5.55% |
| S&P 500 Managed Risk Index - Moderate (reflects no deduction for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes) | 16.81 | 8.77 | 7.36 | 7.99 |
American Funds Insurance Series - Managed Risk Washington Mutual Investors Fund / Summary prospectus 4
Management
Investment adviser Capital Research and Management Company
Subadviser Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC
Portfolio managers The individuals primarily responsible for the management of the fund are:
|
Portfolio manager/ Series title (if applicable) |
Portfolio manager experience in this fund |
Primary title with investment adviser |
| Samir Mathur | Less than 1 year | Partner - Capital Solutions Group |
| Justin Toner | 1 year | Partner - Capital World Investors |
Subadviser portfolio managers The individuals who are jointly and primarily responsible for the management of the fund's managed risk strategy are:
| Portfolio manager |
Portfolio manager experience in this fund |
Primary title with subadviser |
| Jeff Greco | 11 years |
Senior Director - Head of Strategy Research, Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC |
| Adam Schenck | 11 years |
Managing Director - Head of Fund Services, Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC |
| Maria Schiopu | 11 years |
Managing Director- Head of Portfolio Management, Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC |
Portfolio managers of the underlying funds The individuals primarily responsible for the portfolio management of the Washington Mutual Investors Fund are:
|
Portfolio manager/ Series title (if applicable) |
Portfolio manager experience in the Washington Mutual Investors Fund |
Primary title with investment adviser |
| Aline Avzaradel | 3 years | Partner - Capital International Investors |
| Alan N. Berro Co-President | 7 years | Partner - Capital World Investors |
| Mark L. Casey | 3 years | Partner - Capital International Investors |
| Irfan M. FurniturewalaSenior Vice President | 3 years | Partner - Capital International Investors |
| Emme Kozloff | 3 years | Partner - Capital World Investors |
| Jin Lee | 3 years | Partner - Capital World Investors |
| Eric H. Stern | 3 years | Partner - Capital International Investors |
| Diana Wagner | 3 years | Partner - Capital World Investors |
| Alan J. WilsonSenior Vice President | 3 years | Partner - Capital World Investors |
The individuals primarily responsible for the portfolio management of the Government Fund are:
|
Portfolio manager/ Series title (if applicable) |
Portfolio manager experience in the Government Fund |
Primary title with investment adviser |
| David J. Betanzos | 9 years | Partner - Capital Fixed Income Investors |
| Fergus N. MacDonald | 14 years | Partner - Capital Fixed Income Investors |
| Ritchie Tuazon | 9 years | Partner - Capital Fixed Income Investors |
Purchase and sale of fund shares Shares of the fund are not sold directly to the general public. The fund is offered only as an underlying investment option for variable insurance contracts, and insurance company separate accounts and qualified feeder funds - and not the holders of variable insurance contracts - are the shareholders of the fund. Although the fund does not require a minimum amount for initial or subsequent purchases from insurance companies, your insurance company may impose investment minimums for your purchase of the fund.
You may sell (redeem) shares on any business day. You must sell (redeem) shares through your insurance company.
Tax information See your variable insurance contract prospectus for information regarding the federal income tax treatment of your variable insurance contract and related distributions.
Payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediariesThe fund is not sold directly to the general public but instead is offered as an underlying investment option for variable insurance contracts. The fund and its related companies may make payments to the sponsoring insurance company (or its affiliates) for distribution and/or other services. These payments may be a factor that the insurance company considers in including the fund as an underlying investment option in the variable insurance contract. The prospectus (or other offering document) for your variable insurance contract may contain additional information about these payments.
| You can access the fund's statutory prospectus or SAI at capitalgroup.com/afis. | |
| INP2IPX-087-0524P Printed in USA CGD/AFD/8024 | Investment Company File No. 811-03857 |