Products January 18, 2008

International iShares Move to Semi-Annual Income Distribution

More than 50 international iShares funds, all of which previously distributed income annually, will begin distributing income twice per year.
Reported by
Barclays Global Investors (“BGI’) says that beginning in 2008, 55 international iShares funds, all of which previously distributed income annually, will distribute income twice per year. The funds will continue to distribute net capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually, according to a press release.
According to the funds’ current prospectuses, funds will declare and pay distributions from net investment income at least annually; however income distributions may be declared and paid more frequently. The decision to change the income distribution schedule for certain funds was made to increase the efficiency of fund management by lowering trading costs related to distributions.
The 2008 income distribution schedule of all 151 existing iShares funds is available at www.ishares.com.
Beginning this year, the following funds will distribute income semi-annually in June and December of each year:
FXI iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index Fund
EWA iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund
EWZ iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund
EWC iShares MSCI Canada Index Fund
EFA iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund
EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund
EWH iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund
EWM iShares MSCI Malaysia Index Fund
EWW iShares MSCI Mexico Index Fund
EPP iShares MSCI Pacific ex-Japan Index Fund
EWS iShares MSCI Singapore Index Fund
EWY iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund
EWT iShares MSCI Taiwan Index Fund
EWO iShares MSCI Austria Index Fund
EWK iShares MSCI Belgium Index Fund
EBK iShares MSCI BRIC Index Fund
ECH iShares MSCI Chile Index Fund
EFG iShares MSCI EAFE Growth Index Fund
SCZ iShares MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index Fund
EFV iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund
EZU iShares MSCI EMU Index Fund
EWQ iShares MSCI France Index Fund
EWG iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund
EWI iShares MSCI Italy Index Fund
EWJ iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund
SCJ iShares MSCI Japan Small Cap Index Fund
TOK iShares MSCI Kokusai Index Fund
EWN iShares MSCI Netherlands Index Fund
EZA iShares MSCI South Africa Index Fund
EWP iShares MSCI Spain Index Fund
EWD iShares MSCI Sweden Index Fund
EWL iShares MSCI Switzerland Index Fund
EWU iShares MSCI United Kingdom Index Fund
AIA iShares S&P Asia 50 Index Fund
IEV iShares S&P Europe 350 Index Fund
IOO iShares S&P Global 100 Index Fund
RXI iShares S&P Global Consumer Discretionary Sector Index Fund
KXI iShares S&P Global Consumer Staples Sector Index Fund
IXC iShares S&P Global Energy Sector Index Fund
IXG iShares S&P Global Financials Sector Index Fund
IXJ iShares S&P Global Healthcare Sector Index Fund
IGE iShares S&P GSSITM Natural Resources Index Fund
IGN iShares S&P GSTITM Networking Index Fund
IGW iShares S&P GSTITM Semiconductor Index Fund
IGV iShares S&P GSTITM Software Index Fund
IGM iShares S&P GSTITM Technology Index Fund
IGF iShares S&P Global Infrastructure Index Fund
EXI iShares S&P Global Industrials Sector Index Fund
MXI iShares S&P Global Materials Sector Index Fund
IXN iShares S&P Global Technology Sector Index Fund
IXP iShares S&P Global Telecommunications Sector Index Fund
JXI iShares S&P Global Utilities Sector Index Fund
ITF iShares S&P TOPIX 150 Index Fund
ILF iShares S&P Latin America 40 Index Fund
IFSM iShares FTSE Developed Small Cap ex-North America
Products January 18, 2008

New CPI Division Assists 403(b)s with Vendor Management

CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc., has created a new division to offer common remitter and compliance services to 403(b) retirement plan sponsors.
Reported by

CPI Common Remitter Services will offer the Common Remitter and Compliance Program (CRCP), which features three different service levels, allowing plan sponsors to choose the level of daily involvement they will have with the administrative aspects of their 403(b) retirement plans and the multiple vendors participating within their school district or tax exempt organization. In addition to plan documentation, vendor verification, required testing, and limits monitoring, CRCP also offers Internet and call center services for the plan sponsor and participants, the company said.

“Payroll processing can continue as usual, and the plan sponsor can include any number of vendors in the 403(b) plan to meet the needs of the plan participants,” said Jon Prescott, Chief Marketing Officer of the third party recordkeeping and administration company, in a company announcement.

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