Prospectus by Investment Company (Form 497)

Shares of mutual funds available for purchase by employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation, and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans provided the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans

Shares purchased through a Merrill investment advisory program

Brokerage class shares exchanged from advisory class shares due to the holdings moving from a Merrill investment advisory program to a Merrill brokerage account

Shares purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform

Shares purchased through the systematic reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same mutual fund in the same account

Shares exchanged from level-load shares to front-end load shares of the same mutual fund in accordance with the description in the Merrill SLWD Supplement

Shares purchased by eligible employees of Merrill or its affiliates and their family members who purchase shares in accounts within the employee's Merrill Household (as defined in the Merrill SLWD Supplement)

Shares purchased by eligible persons associated with the Fund as defined in this prospectus (e.g. the Fund's officers or trustees)

Shares purchased from the proceeds of a mutual fund redemption in front-end load shares provided (1) the repurchase is in a mutual fund within the same fund family, (2) the repurchase occurs within 90 calendar days from the redemption trade date, and (3) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Automated transactions (i.e. systematic purchases and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay Merrill's account maintenance fees are not eligible for Rights of Reinstatement

Shares sold due to the client's death or disability (as defined by Internal Revenue Code Section 22(e)(3))

Shares sold pursuant to a systematic withdrawal program subject to Merrill's maximum systematic withdrawal limits as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement

Shares sold due to return of excess contributions from an IRA account

Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the investor reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulation

Front-end or level-load shares held in commission-based, non-taxable retirement brokerage accounts (e.g. traditional, Roth, rollover, SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans) that are transferred to fee-based accounts or platforms and exchanged for a lower cost share class of the same mutual fund

Breakpoint discounts, as described in this prospectus, where the sales load is at or below the maximum sales load that Merrill permits to be assessed to a front-end load purchase, as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement

Rights of Accumulation (ROA), as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement, which entitle clients to breakpoint discounts based on the aggregated holdings of mutual fund family assets held in accounts in their Merrill Household

Letters of Intent (LOI), which allow for breakpoint discounts on eligible new purchases based on anticipated future eligible purchases within a fund family at Merrill, in accounts within your Merrill Household, as further described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement

Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing share of the same fund

Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Baird or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Baird

Shares purchased within 90 days following a redemption from a BlackRock Fund, provided (1) the redemption and purchase occur within the purchaser's Baird household and (2) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as Rights of Reinstatement)

A shareholder in the Fund's Investor C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Investor A shares of the fund if the shares are no longer subject to CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Baird

Shares purchased by employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs

Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder

Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund's prospectus

Shares bought due to returns of excess contributions from an IRA account

Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable Internal Revenue Service regulations as described in the Fund's prospectus

Shares sold to pay Baird fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird

Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement

Breakpoints as described in this prospectus

Rights of Accumulation ("ROA") which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of BlackRock Fund assets held by accounts within the purchaser's household at Baird. Eligible BlackRock Fund assets not held at Baird may be included in ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets

Letters of Intent ("LOI") allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases of BlackRock Funds through Baird, over a 13-month period of time