Form 485APOS AMERICAN FUNDS INSURANCE

Article

August 1, 2018 6:03 AM EDT

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SEC. File Nos. 002-86838

811-03857

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

__________________

FORM N-1A

Registration Statement

Under

the Securities Act of 1933

Post-Effective Amendment No. 85

and

Registration Statement

Under

the Investment Company Act of 1940

Amendment No. 85

__________________

AMERICAN FUNDS INSURANCE SERIES

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

333 South Hope Street

Los Angeles, California 90071-1406

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:

(213) 486-9200

__________________

Steven I. Koszalka, Secretary

American Funds Insurance Series

333 South Hope Street

Los Angeles, California 90071-1406

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

__________________

Copies to:

Michael Glazer

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

300 South Grand Avenue, 22nd Floor

Los Angeles, California 90071-3132

(Counsel for the Registrant)

__________________

Approximate date of proposed public offering:

It is proposed that this filing become effective on October 1, 2018, pursuant to paragraph (a) of Rule 485.

American Funds Insurance Series^®

Prospectus
Class P1 shares

[October 1], 2018

Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund

Table of contents



Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund 1		Investment objectives, strategies and risks 7 Management and organization 12 Purchases and redemptions of shares 14 Plan of distribution 16 Fund expenses 16 Investment results 16 Distributions and taxes 16 Financial highlights 17
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined that this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund

Investment objectives The fund’s investment objectives are to achieve long-term growth of capital and income while seeking to manage volatility and provide downside protection.

Fees and expenses of the fund This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold an interest in Class P1 shares of the fund. It does not reflect insurance contract fees and expenses. 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	0.30
Acquired (underlying) fund fees and expenses	0.29
Total annual fund operating expenses	0.74
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement^*	0.07
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement	0.67

* The investment adviser is currently waiving a portion of its management fee equal to .05% of the fund’s net assets. In addition, the investment adviser is currently reimbursing a portion of the other expenses. This waiver and reimbursement will be in effect through at least [October 1], 2019. The adviser may elect at its discretion to extend, modify or terminate the reimbursement at that time. 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 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 expense reimbursement described above through the expiration date of such reimbursement and total annual fund operating expenses thereafter. 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	$68	$230	$405	$912

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 26% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies The fund pursues its investment objectives by investing in shares of two underlying funds, the American Funds Insurance Series – Growth-Income Fund (the “Growth-Income Fund”) and the American Funds Insurance Series – Bond Fund (the “Bond 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 80% of its assets in the Growth-Income Fund, which seeks to achieve long-term growth of capital and income. The Growth-Income Fund invests primarily in common stocks or other securities that the investment adviser believes demonstrate the potential for appreciation and/or dividends. The Growth-Income Fund may invest up to 15% of its assets, at the time of purchase, in securities of issuers domiciled outside the United States. The fund invests the remainder of its assets in the Bond Fund and in cash and/or U.S. Treasury futures. The Bond Fund’s investment objective is to provide as high a level of current income as is consistent with the preservation of capital. Normally, the Bond Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds and other debt securities. The Bond Fund invests at least 65% of its assets in investment-grade debt securities (rated Baa3 or better or BBB+ or better by Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations designated by the fund’s investment adviser or unrated but determined to be of equivalent quality by the adviser).

1 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

The fund’s investment in the Bond 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 long positions in exchange-traded put options contracts and/or short positions in exchange-traded futures contracts — to attempt to stabilize the volatility of the fund around a target volatility level and, during periods of significant market declines, 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. 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 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 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 the fund’s principal investment strategies. 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 have a long-term perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. 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.

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 cash 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 expose the fund or an underlying fund to losses in excess of its initial investment. Derivatives may be difficult for the fund or an underlying fund to buy or sell at an opportune time or price and may be difficult 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.

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 2

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 predicts the impact of such developments on the options and futures in which it invests, the fund could be exposed to the risk of loss. 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 and options 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.

Losses from short positions in options contracts occur when the underlying index decreases in value, in the case of a written put option, or when the underlying index increases in value, in the case of a written call option. Upon exercise, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price (multiplied by a specified multiplier applicable to the index option). Accordingly, if the value of the underlying index decreases, a put writer would expect to suffer a loss as it would be obligated to pay a strike price that is relatively higher than the value of the index. On the other hand, a call writer would expect to suffer a loss if the value of the underlying index increases as the writer would be obligated to pay the cash value of the index that is relatively higher than the strike price. In each case, though the loss suffered should be mitigated by the receipt of the option premium owed to the option writer, losses from written positions in index futures contracts could potentially be very large, particularly if the value of the underlying index shifts dramatically over 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; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; governmental or governmental agency responses to economic conditions; and currency exchange rate, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations.

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 and strategic initiatives such as mergers, acquisitions or dispositions and the market response to any such initiatives.

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 income-oriented stocks — 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.

3 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

Investing outside the United States — Securities of issuers domiciled outside the United States, or with significant operations or revenues outside the United States, may lose value because of adverse political, social, economic or market developments (including social instability, regional conflicts, terrorism and war) in the countries or regions in which the issuers operate or generate revenue. These securities may also lose value due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates against the U.S. dollar and/or currencies of other countries. Issuers of these securities may be more susceptible to actions of foreign governments, such as the imposition of price controls or punitive taxes, that could adversely impact the value of these securities. Securities markets in certain countries may be more volatile and/or less liquid than those in the United States. Investments outside the United States may also be subject to different accounting practices and different regulatory, legal and reporting standards and practices, and may be more difficult to value, than those in the United States. In addition, the value of investments outside the United States may be reduced by foreign taxes, including foreign withholding taxes on interest and dividends. Further, there may be increased risks of delayed settlement of securities purchased or sold by an underlying fund. The risks of investing outside the United States may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets.

Investing in debt instruments — The prices of, and the income generated by, bonds and other debt securities held by an underlying fund may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the effective maturities and credit ratings of these securities.

Rising interest rates will generally cause the prices of bonds and other debt securities to fall. Falling interest rates may cause an issuer to redeem, call or refinance a debt security before its stated maturity, which may result in the fund having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities. Longer maturity debt securities generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates and may be subject to greater price fluctuations than shorter maturity debt securities.

Bonds and other debt securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that the credit strength of an issuer will weaken and/or an issuer of a debt security will fail to make timely payments of principal or interest and the security will go into default. Lower quality debt securities generally have higher rates of interest and may be subject to greater price fluctuations than higher quality debt securities. Credit risk is gauged, in part, by the credit ratings of the debt securities in which an underlying fund invests. However, ratings are only the opinions of the rating agencies issuing them and are not guarantees as to credit quality or an evaluation of market risk. The fund’s investment adviser relies on its own credit analysts to research issuers and issues in seeking to mitigate various credit and default risks.

Nondiversification risk — As a nondiversified fund, the fund has the ability to invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Therefore, poor performance by a single large holding could adversely impact the fund’s investment results more than if the fund were invested in a larger number of issuers.

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 employed by the investment adviser in this process 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.

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.

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 4

Investment results The 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 and other applicable measures of market results. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The fund has selected the S&P 500 Managed Risk Index – Moderate to replace the S&P 500 Index as its broad-based securities market index. The fund's investment adviser believes that the S&P 500 Managed Risk Index – Moderate better reflects the market sectors and securities in which the underlying funds primarily invest and the investment strategies employed by the adviser in seeking to achieve the fund's investment objective. 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. Updated information on the fund’s investment results can be obtained by visiting americanfunds.com/afis.

[bar chart to be updated to reflect most recent quarterly returns]


Average annual total returns For the periods ended December 31, 2017:	1 year	Lifetime
Fund (inception date – 5/1/13)	20.64%	9.28%
S&P 500 Managed Risk Index – Moderate (reflects no deduction for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes)	16.02	9.44
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes)	21.83	14.26

5 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

Management

Investment adviser Capital Research and Management Company^SM

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
Alan N. Berro President	5 years	Partner – Capital World Investors
James R. Mulally	5 years	Partner – Capital Fixed Income Investors

Subadviser portfolio manager The individual primarily responsible for the management of the fund’s managed risk strategy is:


Portfolio manager	Portfolio manager experience in this fund	Primary title with subadviser
Adam Schenck	5 years	Director – Portfolio Management Group, Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC

Portfolio managers of the underlying fund The individuals primarily responsible for the portfolio management of the Growth-Income Fund are:


Portfolio manager/ Series title (if applicable)	Portfolio manager experience in the Growth-Income Fund	Primary title with investment adviser
Donald D. O’Neal Vice Chairman of the Board	13 years	Partner – Capital International Investors
Dylan Yolles Vice President	13 years	Partner – Capital International Investors
J. Blair Frank	12 years	Partner – Capital Research Global Investors
Claudia P. Huntington	24 years	Partner – Capital Research Global Investors
S. Keiko McKibben	4 years	Partner – Capital Research Global Investors
William L. Robbins	6 years	Partner – Capital International Investors

The individuals primarily responsible for the portfolio management of the Bond Fund are:


Portfolio manager/ Series title (if applicable)	Portfolio manager experience in the Bond Fund	Primary title with investment adviser
Pramod Atluri	2 years	Vice President – Capital Fixed Income Investors
David A. Hoag	11 years	Partner – Capital Fixed Income Investors

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 intermediaries If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as an insurance company), the fund and the fund’s distributor or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial advisor to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information. The fund is not sold directly to the general public but instead is offered as an underlying investment option for variable insurance contracts. In addition to payments described above, 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.

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 6

Investment objectives, strategies and risks

Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund The fund’s investment objectives are to achieve long-term growth of capital and income while seeking to manage volatility and provide downside protection. While it has no present intention to do so, the fund’s board may change the fund’s investment objectives without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders. The fund pursues its investment objective by investing in Class 1 shares of the American Funds Insurance Series – Growth-Income Fund (the “Growth-Income Fund”) and the American Funds Insurance Series – Bond Fund (the “Bond Fund”), while seeking to manage portfolio volatility and risk of loss primarily through the use of exchange-traded options and futures contracts.

The fund normally seeks to invest 80% of its assets in the Growth-Income Fund. The investment objectives of the Growth-Income Fund are to achieve long-term growth of capital and income. The Growth-Income Fund invests primarily in common stocks or other equity type securities, such as preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks and convertible bonds, that the investment adviser believes demonstrate the potential for appreciation and/or dividends. Although the Growth-Income Fund focuses on investments in medium to larger capitalization companies, its investments are not limited to a particular capitalization size. The Growth-Income Fund may invest up to 15% of its assets, at the time of purchase, in securities of issuers domiciled outside the United States, including, to a more limited extent, in emerging markets.

The fund invests the remainder of its assets in the Bond Fund and in cash and/or U.S. Treasury futures. The investment objective of the Bond Fund is to provide as high a level of current income as is consistent with the preservation of capital. Normally, the Bond Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds and other debt securities, which may be represented by other investment instruments, including derivatives. The Bond Fund invests at least 65% of its assets in investment-grade debt securities (rated Baa3 or better or BBB- or better by Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations, or NRSROs, designated by the underlying fund’s investment adviser or unrated but determined to be of equivalent quality by the adviser), including cash and cash equivalents, securities issued and guaranteed by the U.S. and other governments, and securities backed by mortgages and other assets. The Bond Fund may invest up to 35% of its assets in debt securities rated Ba1 or below and BB+ or below by NRSROs designated by the underlying fund’s investment adviser or unrated but determined by the adviser to be of equivalent quality. Such securities are sometimes referred to as “junk bonds.” The Bond Fund may invest in debt securities of issuers domiciled outside the United States, including in emerging markets. The Bond Fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets in preferred stocks, including convertible and nonconvertible preferred stocks.

In addition, the Bond Fund may invest, subject to the restrictions above, in contracts for future delivery of mortgage-backed securities, such as to-be-announced contracts and mortgage rolls. Although the Bond Fund may generally invest in debt securities of any maturity or duration, such contracts are normally of short duration and may be replaced by another contract prior to maturity. Each such transaction is reflected as turnover in the Bond Fund’s portfolio, resulting in a higher portfolio turnover rate than funds that do not employ this investment strategy.

The Bond Fund may invest in certain derivative instruments. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which is based on the value of an underlying financial asset (such as a stock, bond or currency), a reference rate or a market index. The Bond Fund may invest in a derivative only if, in the opinion of the investment adviser, the expected risks and rewards of the proposed investment are consistent with the investment objective and strategies of the Bond Fund.

Among other derivative instrument types, the Bond Fund may invest in futures contracts and interest rate swaps in order to seek to manage the Bond Fund’s sensitivity to interest rates, and in credit default swap indices, or CDX, in order to assume exposure to a diversified portfolio of credits or to hedge against existing credit risks. A futures contract is a standardized exchange-traded agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying asset, rate or index at an agreed-upon price at a stipulated future date. An interest rate swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange or swap payments based on changes in one or more interest rates, one of which is typically fixed and the other of which is typically a floating rate based on a designated short-term interest rate, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate, prime rate or other benchmark. A CDX is based on a portfolio of credit default swaps with similar characteristics, such as credit default swaps on high-yield bonds. In a typical CDX transaction, one party – the protection buyer – is obligated to pay the other party – the protection seller – a stream of periodic payments over the term of the contract, provided generally that no credit event on an underlying reference obligation has occurred. If such a credit event has occurred, the protection seller must pay the protection buyer the loss on those credits.

The Bond Fund may also enter into currency transactions to provide for the purchase or sale of a currency needed to purchase a security denominated in that currency. In addition, the Bond Fund may enter into forward currency contracts to protect against changes in currency exchange rates. The Bond Fund may also enter into forward currency contracts to seek to increase total return. A forward currency contract is an agreement to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date at a fixed price.

The fund’s investment in the Bond 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 or managed risk strategy. The managed risk strategy consists of using hedge instruments — primarily long positions in exchange-traded put options contracts and/or short positions in exchange-traded futures contracts — to attempt to stabilize the volatility of the fund around a target volatility level and, during periods of significant market declines, to seek to reduce the downside exposure of the fund. “Volatility” in this context means variance in the fund’s investment results. 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. 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

7 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

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.

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. During periods of generally rising equity security prices, the subadviser will normally increase the target level of protection in the fund to seek to protect the growing value of the fund’s portfolio. During or after severe market downturns, however, the fund’s subadviser is expected to realize gains for the fund on the fund’s put options and short futures positions and the amount of options and futures held by the fund will likely decrease. Even in periods of low volatility in the equity markets, the subadviser will continue to employ exchange-traded equity index put options to seek to preserve gains in 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 futures contracts for hedging purposes, though it need not necessarily do so. In the event of a sudden market dislocation, the managed risk strategy may not provide the same downside protection as in other periods. Accordingly, 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. In addition, under certain market conditions (including during periods of low equity market volatility, when the subadviser may employ exchange-traded equity index futures to a lesser degree or not at all), the subadviser reserves the right to purchase or sell exchange-traded interest rate futures, including futures contracts on U.S. Treasury bonds, to seek to manage interest rate risk.

From time to time, including during severe market dislocations, the fund may adjust its managed risk strategy if advisable in the judgment of the fund’s investment adviser and subadviser. For example, if the market for swaps moves, as is expected, from a largely over-the-counter market to an exchange-traded market as a result of recent regulatory changes, the subadviser may use exchange-traded swaps to seek to hedge interest rate risk if the fund’s investment adviser and subadviser determine that the exchange-traded swaps market has become similar in depth and substance to that of the exchange-traded options and futures markets. Before adjusting the fund’s managed risk strategy, the fund’s investment adviser and subadviser may consult with insurance companies that offer the fund as an underlying investment option for variable contracts; provided, however that any adjustment will be made in the judgment of the investment adviser and the subadviser. Any such adjustment may not have the desired positive effect, and could potentially have further adverse effects, on the fund’s investment results.

The subadviser will purchase or sell futures contracts through a futures commission merchant, or FCM. The fund may be required to own cash or other liquid assets, including U.S. Treasury futures, and post these assets with an FCM or broker as collateral to cover the fund’s obligations under its futures contracts. Upon entering into a futures contract, for example, the fund will be required to deposit with the FCM an amount of cash (or other liquid assets, including U.S. Treasury futures) for collateral, or initial margin, that will be held at the clearinghouse or exchange in the name of the FCM. On a daily basis, the fund will be required to post additional cash with the FCM if a futures contract loses value or will receive cash if a futures contract gains in value. This cash, known as variation margin, may be held intraday at the FCM. Cash received by the fund may be invested in U.S. Treasury futures.

The fund or an underlying fund may also hold cash or money market instruments, including commercial paper and short-term securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities. The fund may also hold money market fund shares as part of its cash position. The percentage of the fund or an underlying fund invested in such holdings varies and depends on various factors, including market conditions and purchases and redemptions of fund shares. The investment adviser may determine that it is appropriate to invest a substantial portion of the fund’s assets in such instruments in response to certain circumstances, such as periods of market turmoil. In addition, for temporary defensive purposes, the fund or an underlying fund may invest without limitation in such instruments. A larger amount of such holdings could moderate a fund’s investment results in a period of rising market prices. Alternatively, a larger percentage of such holdings could reduce the magnitude of a fund’s loss in a period of falling market prices and provide liquidity to make additional investments or to meet redemptions.

The following are principal risks associated with the fund’s investment strategies.

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 8

9 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

taxes on interest and dividends. Further, there may be increased risks of delayed settlement of securities purchased or sold by an underlying fund. The risks of investing outside the United States may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets.

The following are certain additional risks associated with the fund’s investment strategies.

Exposure to country, region, industry or sector — Subject to its investment limitations, an underlying fund may have significant exposure to a particular country, region, industry or sector. Such exposure may cause the underlying fund to be more impacted by risks relating to the country, region, industry or sector than a fund without such levels of exposure. For example, if an underlying fund has significant exposure in a particular country, then social, economic, regulatory or other issues that negatively affect that country may have a greater impact on the underlying fund than on a fund that is more geographically diversified.

Investing in lower rated debt instruments — Lower rated bonds and other lower rated debt securities generally have higher rates of interest and involve greater risk of default or price declines due to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness than those of higher quality debt securities. The market prices of these securities may fluctuate more than the prices of higher quality debt securities and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty. These risks may be increased with respect to investments in junk bonds.

Investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities — Mortgage-related securities, such as mortgage-backed securities, and other asset-backed securities, include debt obligations that represent interests in pools of mortgages or other income-bearing assets, such as consumer loans or receivables. Such securities often involve risks that are different from or more acute than the risks associated with investing in other types of debt securities. Mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are subject to changes in the payment patterns of borrowers of the underlying debt. When interest rates fall, borrowers are more likely to refinance or prepay their debt before its stated maturity. This may result in an underlying fund having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities, effectively reducing the underlying fund’s income. Conversely, if interest rates rise and borrowers repay their debt more slowly than expected, the time in which the mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are paid off could be extended, reducing an underlying fund’s cash available for reinvestment in higher yielding securities.

Investing in future delivery contracts — An underlying fund may enter into contracts, such as to-be-announced contracts and mortgage dollar rolls, that involve an underlying fund selling mortgage-related securities and simultaneously contracting to repurchase similar securities for delivery at a future date at a predetermined price. This can increase the underlying fund’s market exposure, and the market price of the securities that the underlying fund contracts to repurchase could drop below their purchase price. While an underlying fund can preserve and generate capital through the use of such contracts by, for example, realizing the difference between the sale price and the future purchase price, the income generated by the underlying fund may be reduced by engaging in such transactions. In addition, these transactions may increase the turnover rate of the underlying fund.

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. Securities issued by 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.

Investing in inflation-linked bonds — The values of inflation-linked bonds generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates — i.e., rates of interest after factoring in inflation. A rise in real interest rates may cause the prices of inflation-linked securities to fall, while a decline in real interest rates may cause the prices to increase. Inflation-linked bonds may experience greater losses than other debt

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 10

securities with similar durations when real interest rates rise faster than nominal interest rates. There can be no assurance that the value of an inflation-linked security will be directly correlated to changes in interest rates; for example, if interest rates rise for reasons other than inflation, the increase may not be reflected in the security’s inflation measure.

Investing in inflation-linked bonds may also reduce an underlying fund’s distributable income during periods of extreme deflation. If prices for goods and services decline throughout the economy, the principal and income on inflation-linked securities may decline and result in losses to an underlying fund.

Investing in swaps — Swaps, including interest rate swaps and credit default swap indices, or CDX, are subject to many of the risks generally associated with investing in derivative instruments. Additionally, although swaps require no or only a small initial investment in the form of a deposit of initial margin, the amount of a potential loss on a swap contract could greatly exceed the initial amount invested. The use of swaps involves the risk that the investment adviser will not accurately predict anticipated changes in interest rates or other economic factors, which may result in losses to an underlying fund. If an underlying fund enters into a bilaterally negotiated swap transaction, the counterparty may fail to perform in accordance with the terms of the swap agreement. If a counterparty defaults on its obligations under a swap agreement, the underlying fund may lose any amount it expected to receive from the counterparty, potentially including amounts in excess of the underlying fund’s initial investment. Certain swap transactions are subject to mandatory central clearing or may be eligible for voluntary central clearing. Although clearing interposes a central clearinghouse as the ultimate counterparty to each participant’s swap, central clearing will not eliminate (but may decrease) counterparty risk relative to uncleared bilateral swaps. Some swaps, such as CDX, may be dependent on both the individual credit of an underlying fund’s counterparty and on the credit of one or more issuers of any underlying assets. If an underlying fund does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of its counterparty and, where applicable, of issuers of any underlying reference assets, the underlying fund’s investment in a swap may result in losses to the underlying fund.

Currency transactions — In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in derivative instruments, the use of forward currency contracts involves the risk that currency movements will not be accurately predicted by the investment adviser, which could result in losses to an underlying fund. While entering into forward currency contracts could minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, it could also limit any potential gain that may result from an increase in the value of the currency. Additionally, the adviser may use forward currency contracts to increase exposure to a certain currency or to shift exposure to currency fluctuations from one country to another. Forward currency contracts may expose an underlying fund to potential gains and losses in excess of the initial amount invested.

Interest rate risk — The values and liquidity of the securities held by an underlying fund may be affected by changing interest rates. For example, the values of these securities may decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall. Longer maturity debt securities generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates and may be subject to greater price fluctuations than shorter maturity debt securities. An underlying fund may invest in variable and floating rate securities. Although the values of such securities are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than those of other debt securities, the value of variable and floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as quickly, or as much, as general interest rates. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. During periods of extremely low short-term interest rates, an underlying fund may not be able to maintain a positive yield and, given the current historically low interest rate environment, risks associated with rising rates are currently heightened.

Liquidity risk — Certain underlying fund holdings may be deemed to be less liquid or illiquid because they cannot be readily sold without significantly impacting the value of the holdings. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market for a holding, legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or the reduced number and capacity of market participants to make a market in such holding. Market prices for less liquid or illiquid holdings may be volatile, and reduced liquidity may have an adverse impact on the market price of such holdings. Additionally, the sale of less liquid or illiquid holdings may involve substantial delays (including delays in settlement) and additional costs and the underlying fund may be unable to sell such holdings when necessary to meet its liquidity needs.

In addition to the principal investment strategies described above, the fund has other investment practices that are described in the statement of additional information, which includes a description of other risks related to the fund’s principal investment strategies and other investment practices. The fund’s investment results will depend on the ability of the fund’s investment adviser to navigate the risks discussed above as well as those described in the statement of additional information.

Fund comparative indexes — The S&P Managed Risk Index Series is designed to simulate a dynamic protective portfolio that allocates between the underlying equity index and cash, based on realized volatilities of the underlying equity and bond indices, while maintaining a fixed allocation to the underlying bond index. These indices are unmanaged, and their results include reinvested dividends and/or distributions but do not reflect the effect of sales charges, commissions, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes. The S&P 500 Index is a market capitalization-weighted index based on the results of approximately 500 widely held common stocks. This index is unmanaged, and its results include reinvested dividends and/or distributions but do not reflect the effect of sales charges, commissions, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes.

Information regarding the underlying funds For additional and more current information regarding the underlying funds, investors should read the current prospectus of the applicable underlying funds. Each of the funds described in this prospectus relies on the professional judgment of the investment adviser to the funds and to the underlying funds to make decisions about the underlying funds’ respective portfolio investments. The basic investment philosophy of the investment adviser is to seek to invest in attractively valued companies that, in its opinion, represent good, long-term investment opportunities. The investment adviser believes that an important way to accomplish this is through fundamental analysis, which may include meeting with company executives and employees, suppliers, customers and competitors. Securities may be sold when the investment adviser believes that they no longer represent relatively attractive investment opportunities.

11 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

Management and organization

Investment adviser Capital Research and Management Company, an experienced investment management organization founded in 1931, serves as the investment adviser to the Series and other mutual funds, including each of the underlying funds and the American Funds. Capital Research and Management Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Capital Group Companies, Inc. and is located at 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, California 90071. The total management fee paid by each fund to its investment adviser for the most recent fiscal year, in each case expressed as a percentage of average net assets of that fund, appears in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table for each fund. Please see the statement of additional information for further details. A discussion regarding the basis for the approval of the Series’ Investment Advisory and Service Agreement by the Series’ board of trustees is contained in the Series’ annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

Capital Research and Management Company manages equity assets through three equity investment divisions and fixed-income assets through its fixed-income investment division, Capital Fixed Income Investors. The three equity investment divisions — Capital World Investors, Capital Research Global Investors and Capital International Investors — make investment decisions independently of one another.

The equity investment divisions may, in the future, be incorporated as wholly owned subsidiaries of Capital Research and Management Company. In that event, Capital Research and Management Company would continue to be the investment adviser, and day-to-day investment management of equity assets would continue to be carried out through one or more of these subsidiaries. Although not currently contemplated, Capital Research and Management Company could incorporate its fixed-income investment division in the future and engage it to provide day-to-day investment management of fixed-income assets. Capital Research and Management Company and each of the funds it advises have received an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that allows Capital Research and Management Company to use, upon approval of the funds’ boards, its management subsidiaries and affiliates to provide day-to-day investment management services to the funds, including making changes to the management subsidiaries and affiliates providing such services. The Series’ shareholders approved this arrangement; however, there is no assurance that Capital Research and Management Company will incorporate its investment divisions or exercise any authority granted to it under the exemptive order.

In addition, shareholders of the Series have approved a proposal to reorganize the Series into a Delaware statutory trust. However, the Series reserved the right to delay implementing the reorganization and has elected to do so.

Portfolio holdings A description of the funds’ policies and procedures regarding disclosure of information about their portfolio holdings is available in the statement of additional information.

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 12

Portfolio management for the funds Capital Research and Management Company is the investment adviser to the funds and the underlying funds. The investment adviser is responsible for the management of the funds and, subject to the review and approval of the Series’ board of trustees, the selection of the subadviser to the funds, the monitoring and oversight of any such subadviser and the implementation of policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that such subadviser complies with the funds’ respective investment objectives, strategies and restrictions.

Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC is the subadviser to the funds with respect to the management of the funds’ managed risk strategies.

The table below shows the investment experience and role in management for each of the investment adviser’s investment professionals primarily responsible for management of the funds.


Portfolio manager for the funds/Title (if applicable)	Investment experience	Experience in the funds	Role in management of the funds
Alan N. Berro President	Investment professional for 32 years in total; 27 years with Capital Research and Management Company or affiliate	6 years	Serves as a portfolio manager
James R. Mulally	Investment professional for 42 years in total; 38 years with Capital Research and Management Company or affiliate	6 years	Serves as a portfolio manager

The table below shows the investment experience and role in management for the subadviser’s investment professional primarily responsible for the management of the funds’ managed risk strategies.


Portfolio manager for the funds/Title (if applicable)	Investment experience	Experience in the funds	Role in management of the funds
Adam Schenck	Investment professional for 13 years, all with Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC or affiliate	6 years	Serves as a portfolio manager of the subadviser with respect to the funds’ managed risk strategies

The Capital System^SMfor the underlying funds Capital Research and Management Company uses a system of multiple portfolio managers in managing mutual fund assets for the underlying funds. Under this approach, the portfolio of each underlying fund is divided into segments managed by individual managers who decide how their respective segments will be invested. In addition, Capital Research and Management Company’s investment analysts may make investment decisions with respect to a portion of each underlying fund’s portfolio. Investment decisions are subject to the underlying fund’s objective(s), policies and restrictions and the oversight of the appropriate investment-related committees of Capital Research and Management Company and its investment divisions.

Certain senior members of Capital Fixed Income Investors, the investment adviser’s fixed-income investment division, serve on the Portfolio Strategy Group. The group utilizes a research-driven process with input from the investment adviser’s analysts, portfolio managers and economists to define investment themes on a range of macroeconomic factors, including duration, yield curve and sector allocation. Where applicable, the investment decisions made by a fund’s fixed-income portfolio managers are informed by the investment themes discussed by the group.

13 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

Purchases and redemptions of shares Shares of the Series are currently offered only to insurance company separate accounts as well as so-called “feeder funds” under master-feeder arrangements sponsored by insurance companies as underlying investments for such insurance companies’ variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. All such shares may be purchased or redeemed by the insurance company separate accounts (or feeder funds) at net asset value without any sales or redemption charges. These purchases and redemptions are made at the price next determined after such purchases and redemptions of units of the separate accounts (or feeder funds). The Series typically expects to pay redemption proceeds one business day following receipt and acceptance of a redemption order. However, payment may take longer than one business day and may take up to seven days as generally permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). Under the 1940 Act, the Series may be permitted to pay redemption proceeds beyond seven days under certain limited circumstances.

Under normal conditions, the Series typically expects to meet shareholder redemptions by monitoring the Series’ portfolio and redemption activities and by regularly holding a reserve of highly liquid assets, such as cash or cash equivalents. The Series may use additional methods to meet shareholder redemptions, if they become necessary. These methods may include, but are not limited to, the sale of portfolio assets, the use of overdraft protection afforded by the Series’ custodian bank, borrowing from a line of credit and making payment with fund securities or other fund assets rather than in cash (as further discussed in the following paragraph).

Although payment of redemptions normally will be in cash, the Series may pay the redemption price wholly or partly with portfolio securities or other fund assets under conditions and circumstances determined by the Series’ board of trustees. On the same redemption date, some shareholders may be paid in whole or in part in securities (which may differ among those shareholders), while other shareholders may be paid entirely in cash. The disposal of the securities received in-kind may be subject to brokerage costs and, until sold, such securities remain at market risk and liquidity risk, including the risk that such securities are or become difficult to sell. If the Series pays your redemption with illiquid or less liquid securities, you will bear the risk of not being able to sell such securities.

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 14

Frequent trading of fund shares The Series and American Funds Distributors, Inc., the Series’ distributor, reserve the right to reject any purchase order for any reason. The funds are not designed to serve as vehicles for frequent trading. Frequent trading of fund shares may lead to increased costs to the funds and less efficient management of the funds’ portfolios, potentially resulting in dilution of the value of the shares held by long-term shareholders. Accordingly, purchases, including those that are part of exchange activity, that the Series or American Funds Distributors has determined could involve actual or potential harm to a fund may be rejected.

The Series, through its transfer agent, American Funds Service Company, has agreements with the Series’ insurance relationships to maintain its surveillance procedures that are designed to detect frequent trading in fund shares. The agreements generally require the insurance companies to (i) provide, upon request from a fund, the Series or their agent, certain identifying and account information regarding contract owners who invest in fund shares through an insurance company account and (ii) execute instructions from a fund, the Series or their agent to restrict further purchases or exchanges of fund shares by a contract owner who the Series has identified as having engaged in potentially harmful market timing or frequent trading. Under these procedures, various analytics are used to evaluate factors that may be indicative of frequent trading. For example, transactions in fund shares that exceed certain monetary thresholds may be scrutinized. American Funds Service Company may work with the insurance company separate accounts or feeder funds to apply their procedures that American Funds Service Company believes are reasonably designed to enforce the frequent trading policies of the Series. You should refer to disclosures provided by the insurance company with which you have a contract to determine the specific trading restrictions that apply to you.

Under its procedures, American Funds Service Company also may review transactions that occur close in time to other transactions in the same account or in multiple accounts under common ownership or influence. Trading activity that is identified through these procedures or as a result of any other information available to the funds will be evaluated to determine whether such activity might constitute frequent trading. These procedures may be modified from time to time as appropriate to improve the detection of frequent trading, to facilitate monitoring for frequent trading in particular retirement plans or other accounts and to comply with applicable laws.

In addition to the Series’ broad ability to restrict potentially harmful trading as described previously, the Series’ board of trustees has adopted a “purchase blocking policy” under which any contract owner redeeming units representing a beneficial interest in any fund (including redemptions that are part of an exchange transaction) having a value of $5,000 or more will be precluded from investing units of beneficial interest in that fund (including investments that are part of an exchange transaction) for 30 calendar days after the redemption transaction. Under this purchase blocking policy, certain purchases will not be prevented and certain redemptions will not trigger a purchase block, such as:

· purchases and redemptions of units representing a beneficial interest in a fund having a value of less than $5,000;

· retirement plan contributions, loans and distributions (including hardship withdrawals) identified as such on the retirement plan recordkeeper’s system;

· purchases and redemptions in community foundation accounts;

· purchase transactions involving in-kind transfers of fund shares, if the entity maintaining the contract owner’s account is able to identify the transaction as one of these types of transactions; and

· systematic redemptions and purchases if the entity maintaining the contract owner’s account is able to identify the transaction as a systematic redemption or purchase.

Generally, purchases and redemptions will not be considered “systematic” unless the transaction is prescheduled for a specific date.

The Series reserves the right to waive the purchase blocking policy if American Funds Service Company determines that its surveillance procedures are adequate to detect frequent trading in fund shares in such accounts.

If American Funds Service Company identifies any activity that may constitute frequent trading, it reserves the right to contact the insurance company separate account or feeder fund and request that the separate account or feeder fund either provide information regarding an account owner’s transactions or restrict the account owner’s trading. If American Funds Service Company is not satisfied that insurance company separate account or feeder fund has taken appropriate action, American Funds Service Company may terminate the separate account’s or feeder fund’s ability to transact in fund shares.

There is no guarantee that all instances of frequent trading in fund shares will be prevented.

Notwithstanding the Series’ surveillance procedures and purchase blocking policy described above, all transactions in fund shares remain subject to the right of the Series, American Funds Distributors and American Funds Service Company to restrict potentially abusive trading generally (including the types of transactions described above that will not be prevented or trigger a block under the purchase blocking policy). See the statement of additional information for more information about how American Funds Service Company may address other potentially abusive trading activity in the Series.

15 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

Valuing shares The net asset value of each share class of each fund is calculated based in part upon the net asset value of the share class of the underlying funds in which the fund invests. The prospectus for each underlying fund explains the circumstances under which the underlying fund will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing. The net asset value of each share class of a fund is the value of a single share of that class. Each fund calculates the net asset value each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading as of approximately 4 p.m. New York time, the normal close of regular trading. If, for example, the New York Stock Exchange closes at 1 p.m. New York time, the funds‘ net asset values would still be determined as of 4 p.m. New York time. In this example, portfolio securities traded on the New York Stock Exchange would be valued at their closing prices unless the investment adviser determines that a “fair value” adjustment is appropriate due to subsequent events.

Equity securities and options contracts are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations, and debt securities are valued primarily on the basis of prices from third-party pricing services. Futures contracts are valued primarily on the basis of settlement prices. The underlying funds have adopted procedures for making fair value determinations if market quotations or prices from third-party pricing services, as applicable, are not readily available or are not considered reliable. For example, if events occur between the close of markets outside the United States and the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange that, in the opinion of the investment adviser, materially affect the value of any of the underlying funds‘ equity securities that trade principally in those international markets, those securities will be valued in accordance with fair value procedures. Similarly, fair value procedures may be employed if an issuer defaults on its debt securities and there is no market for its securities. Use of these procedures is intended to result in more appropriate net asset values and, where applicable, to reduce potential arbitrage opportunities otherwise available to short-term investors.

Because the underlying funds may hold securities that are listed primarily on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or days when the funds do not price their shares, the values of securities held in the funds may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or redeem fund shares.

Shares of the funds will be purchased or sold at the net asset value next determined after receipt of requests from the appropriate insurance company. Requests received by the appropriate insurance company prior to 4 p.m. New York time and communicated by the insurance company to the Series or its agent will be purchased or sold at that day’s net asset value.

Plan of distribution The Series has adopted a plan of distribution for Class P1 shares under which it may finance activities intended primarily to sell shares, provided that the categories of expenses are approved in advance by the Series’ board of trustees. The plan provides for annual expenses of .25% for Class P1 shares; however, the Series’ board of trustees has not authorized any payments under the plan.

Fund expenses In periods of market volatility, assets of the funds and/or the applicable underlying funds may decline significantly, causing total annual fund operating expenses (as a percentage of the value of your investment) to become higher than the numbers shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses tables in this prospectus.

Each fund will invest in Class 1 shares of the applicable underlying fund(s). Accordingly, fees and expenses of the underlying fund(s) reflect current expenses of the Class 1 shares of the underlying fund(s). The “Other expenses” items in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses tables in this prospectus are based on expenses as of each fund’s most recently completed fiscal year. These items include third-party expenses, such as custodial, legal, audit, accounting, regulatory reporting and pricing vendor services, and an administrative services fee provided by the insurance companies that include the funds as an underlying investment in their variable contracts. Each fund will pay an insurance administration fee of .25% to these insurance companies for providing certain services pursuant to an insurance administrative services plan adopted by the Series.

Investment results All fund results in the “Investment results” section of this prospectus reflect the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions, if any. Unless otherwise noted, fund results reflect any fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements in effect during the period presented.

Distributions and taxes Each fund of the Series intends to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Internal Revenue Code. In any fiscal year in which a fund so qualifies and distributes to shareholders its investment company taxable income and net realized capital gain, the fund itself is relieved of federal income tax.

It is the Series’ policy to distribute to the shareholders (the insurance company separate accounts) all of its investment company taxable income and capital gain for each fiscal year.

See the applicable contract prospectus for information regarding the federal income tax treatment of the contracts and distributions to the separate accounts.

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 16

Financial highlights The Financial Highlights table is intended to help you understand a fund’s results (1) for each of the last four fiscal years and for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2013 for Managed Risk Growth Fund, Managed Risk International Fund, Managed Risk Blue Chip Income and Growth Fund and Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund and (2) for each of the last five fiscal years for Managed Risk Asset Allocation Fund (and for the six months ended June 30, 2018). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share of a particular class. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in a fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions). Where indicated, figures in the table reflect the impact, if any, of certain waivers/reimbursements from Capital Research and Management Company. For more information about these waivers/reimbursements, see the fund's statement of additional information and annual report. The information in the Financial Highlights table has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (except for the six months ended June 30, 2018), whose current report, along with the funds’ financial statements, is included in the statement of additional information, which is available upon request. Figures shown do not reflect insurance contract fees and expenses. If insurance contract fees and expenses were reflected, results would be lower. The information for the six-month period presented has been derived from the fund’s unaudited financial statements and includes all adjustments that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of such information for the period presented.

[financial highlights table to be updated]


		Income (loss) from investment operations¹			Dividends and distributions
Period ended	Net asset value, beginning of period	Net investment income	Net gains (losses) on securities (both realized and unrealized)	Total from investment operations	Dividends (from net investment income)	Distributions (from capital gains)	Total dividends and distributions	Net asset value, end of period	Total return²	Net assets, end of period (in millions)	Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waivers/ reimburse- ments	Ratio of expenses to average net assets after waivers/ reimburse- ments²	Net effective expense ratio^2,3	Ratio of net income to average net assets²
Managed Risk Growth Fund
Class P1:
12/31/17	$10.71	$.08	$2.70	$2.78	$(.07)	$ (.20)	$ (.27)	$13.22	26.23%⁴	$ 2	.52%⁴	.36%⁴	.70%⁴	.69%⁴
12/31/16	11.49	.08	.20	.28	(.05)	(1.01)	(1.06)	10.71	2.89⁴	1	.50⁴	.34⁴	.68⁴	.79⁴
12/31/15	11.37	.09	.03	.12	—	—	—	11.49	1.06⁴	—⁵	.53⁴	.29⁴	.63⁴	.80⁴
12/31/14	11.43	.31	(.06)	.25	(.12)	(.19)	(.31)	11.37	2.18⁴	—⁵	.50⁴	.32⁴	.65⁴	2.71⁴
12/31/13^6,7	10.00	.12	1.38	1.50	(.07)	—	(.07)	11.43	15.05^4,8	—⁵	.88^4,9	.25^4,9	.58^4,9	1.64^4,9
Class P2:
12/31/17	10.64	.04	2.70	2.74	(.04)	(.20)	(.24)	13.14	25.99	286	.79	.63	.97	.34
12/31/16	11.43	.05	.19	.24	(.02)	(1.01)	(1.03)	10.64	2.52	200	.79	.63	.97	.43
12/31/15	11.35	.04	.04	.08	—	—	—	11.43	.71	146	.89	.66	1.00	.31
12/31/14	11.43	.12	.08	.20	(.09)	(.19)	(.28)	11.35	1.77	79	.87	.69	1.02	1.01
12/31/13^6,7	10.00	.12	1.37	1.49	(.06)	—	(.06)	11.43	14.94^4,8	28	1.05^4,9	.52^4,9	.85^4,9	1.69^4,9
Managed Risk International Fund
Class P1:
12/31/17	$ 8.89	$.11	$2.47	$2.58	$(.10)	$(.12)	$(.22)	$11.25	29.28%⁴	$ —⁵	.36%⁴	.20%⁴	.69%⁴	1.13%⁴
12/31/16	9.48	.10	(.35)	(.25)	(.12)	(.22)	(.34)	8.89	(2.59)⁴	—⁵	.39⁴	.23⁴	.74⁴	1.15⁴
12/31/15	10.10	.18	(.80)	(.62)	—¹⁰	—	—¹⁰	9.48	(6.12)⁴	—⁵	.45⁴	.21⁴	.72⁴	1.75⁴
12/31/14	10.82	.14	(.71)	(.57)	(.15)	—	(.15)	10.10	(5.31)⁴	—⁵	.50⁴	.25⁴	.76⁴	1.33⁴
12/31/13^6,7	10.00	.13	.78	.91	(.09)	—	(.09)	10.82	9.08^4,8	—⁵	1.05^4,9	.23^4,9	.73^4,9	1.92^4,9
Class P2:
12/31/17	8.83	.11	2.41	2.52	(.08)	(.12)	(.20)	11.15	28.69	148	.79	.63	1.12	1.03
12/31/16	9.43	.09	(.38)	(.29)	(.09)	(.22)	(.31)	8.83	(3.05)	97	.79	.63	1.14	.97
12/31/15	10.09	.13	(.79)	(.66)	—¹⁰	—	—¹⁰	9.43	(6.52)	83	.90	.66	1.17	1.30
12/31/14	10.82	.16	(.77)	(.61)	(.12)	—	(.12)	10.09	(5.68)	46	.91	.67	1.18	1.51
12/31/13^6,7	10.00	.18	.72	.90	(.08)	—	(.08)	10.82	8.99^4,8	17	1.19^4,9	.44^4,9	.94^4,9	2.66^4,9
Managed Risk Blue Chip Income and Growth Fund
Class P1:
12/31/17	$11.67	$.19	$ 1.59	$1.78	$(.22)	$(.19)	$(.41)	$13.04	15.48%⁴	$ —⁵	.41%⁴	.25%⁴	.64%⁴	1.59%⁴
12/31/16	10.80	.20	1.25	1.45	(.21)	(.37)	(.58)	11.67	13.77⁴	—⁵	.43⁴	.27⁴	.67⁴	1.83⁴
12/31/15	11.70	.19	(1.02)	(.83)	(.07)	—	(.07)	10.80	(7.07)⁴	—⁵	.50⁴	.27⁴	.66⁴	1.64⁴
12/31/14	11.05	.40	.55	.95	(.30)	—	(.30)	11.70	8.58⁴	—⁵	.50⁴	.31⁴	.70⁴	3.43⁴
12/31/13^6,7	10.00	.20	1.01	1.21	(.16)	—	(.16)	11.05	12.16^4,8	—⁵	.84^4,9	.24^4,9	.64^4,9	2.80^4,9
Class P2:
12/31/17	11.61	.17	1.55	1.72	(.18)	(.19)	(.37)	12.96	15.03	367	.79	.63	1.02	1.43
12/31/16	10.76	.23	1.18	1.41	(.19)	(.37)	(.56)	11.61	13.39	291	.79	.63	1.03	2.04
12/31/15	11.67	.18	(1.05)	(.87)	(.04)	—	(.04)	10.76	(7.43)	137	.89	.66	1.05	1.57
12/31/14	11.05	.50	.40	.90	(.28)	—	(.28)	11.67	8.10	98	.88	.69	1.08	4.27
12/31/13^6,7	10.00	.28	.92	1.20	(.15)	—	(.15)	11.05	12.05^4,8	26	1.04^4,9	.54^4,9	.94^4,9	3.91^4,9

17 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus


		Income (loss) from investment operations¹			Dividends and distributions
Period ended	Net asset value, beginning of period	Net investment income	Net gains (losses) on securities (both realized and unrealized)	Total from investment operations	Dividends (from net investment income)	Distributions (from capital gains)	Total dividends and distributions	Net asset value, end of period	Total return²	Net assets, end of period (in millions)	Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waivers/ reimburse- ments	Ratio of expenses to average net assets after waivers/ reimburse- ments²	Net effective expense ratio^2,3	Ratio of net income to average net assets²
Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund
Class P1:
12/31/17	$11.07	$.19	$2.03	$2.22	$(.13)	$(.50)	$(.63)	$12.66	20.64%⁴	$ 2	.53%⁴	.37%⁴	.66%⁴	1.61%⁴
12/31/16	11.25	.16	.52	.68	(.16)	(.70)	(.86)	11.07	6.49⁴	1	.52⁴	.36⁴	.64⁴	1.46⁴
12/31/15	11.67	.25	(.63)	(.38)	(.04)	—	(.04)	11.25	(3.27)⁴	1	.56⁴	.31⁴	.59⁴	2.17⁴
12/31/14	11.50	.35	.21	.56	(.14)	(.25)	(.39)	11.67	4.85⁴	—⁵	.45⁴	.25⁴	.52⁴	2.94⁴
12/31/13^6,7	10.00	.14	1.47	1.61	(.11)	—	(.11)	11.50	16.15^4,8	—⁵	.92^4,9	.23^4,9	.50^4,9	2.01^4,9
Class P2:
12/31/17	11.02	.13	2.05	2.18	(.12)	(.50)	(.62)	12.58	20.40	206	.79	.63	.92	1.08
12/31/16	11.22	.12	.52	.64	(.14)	(.70)	(.84)	11.02	6.08	160	.79	.63	.91	1.13
12/31/15	11.65	.12	(.54)	(.42)	(.01)	—	(.01)	11.22	(3.64)	122	.89	.66	.94	1.04
12/31/14	11.50	.16	.35	.51	(.11)	(.25)	(.36)	11.65	4.42	76	.87	.69	.96	1.38
12/31/13^6,7	10.00	.20	1.40	1.60	(.10)	—	(.10)	11.50	16.04^4,8	24	1.09^4,9	.50^4,9	.77^4,9	2.73^4,9
Managed Risk Asset Allocation Fund
Class P1:
12/31/17	$12.02	$.19	$1.60	$1.79	$(.10)	$(.12)	$(.22)	$13.59	15.06%	$1,656	.43%	.38%	.66%	1.45%
12/31/16	11.72	.19	.67	.86	(.19)	(.37)	(.56)	12.02	7.57	1,217	.43	.38	.66	1.65
12/31/15	12.29	.25	(.34)	(.09)	(.22)	(.26)	(.48)	11.72	(.83)	712	.54	.40	.68	2.06
12/31/14	11.93	.13	.26	.39	(.03)	—	(.03)	12.29	3.24	277	.53	.48	.76	1.04
12/31/13	9.99	.27	1.81	2.08	(.14)	—	(.14)	11.93	20.82⁴	112	.55⁴	.47⁴	.75⁴	2.37⁴
Class P2:
12/31/17	12.01	.15	1.61	1.76	(.10)	(.12)	(.22)	13.55	14.80	2,798	.68	.63	.91	1.13
12/31/16	11.71	.14	.69	.83	(.16)	(.37)	(.53)	12.01	7.27	2,342	.68	.63	.91	1.20
12/31/15	12.27	.14	(.26)	(.12)	(.18)	(.26)	(.44)	11.71	(1.07)	1,953	.79	.66	.94	1.16
12/31/14	11.93	.16	.19	.35	(.01)	—	(.01)	12.27	2.91	1,780	.79	.73	1.01	1.33
12/31/13	9.99	.28	1.77	2.05	(.11)	—	(.11)	11.93	20.58⁴	795	.80⁴	.73⁴	1.01⁴	2.43⁴


	Period ended December 31
Portfolio turnover rate for all share classes	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013
Managed Risk Growth Fund	25%	15%	16%	22%	10%^6,7,8
Managed Risk International Fund	25	26	15	22	6^6,7,8
Managed Risk Blue Chip Income and Growth Fund	32	9	20	22	3^6,7,8
Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund	26	14	11	28	2^6,7,8
Managed Risk Asset Allocation Fund	1	3	3	3	3

¹ Based on average shares outstanding.

² This column reflects the impact of certain waivers/reimbursements by Capital Research and Management Company. Capital Research and Management Company waived a portion of investment advisory services fees for all of the managed risk funds. Capital Research and Management Company also reimbursed a portion of miscellaneous fees and expenses during some of the periods shown for some of the managed risk funds.

³ Ratio reflects weighted average net expense ratio of the underlying fund for the period presented.

⁴ All or a significant portion of assets in this class consisted of seed capital invested by Capital Research and Management Company and/or its affiliates. Certain fees (including, where applicable, fees for distribution services) are not charged or accrued on these seed capital assets. If such fees were paid by the fund on seed capital assets, fund expenses would have been higher and net income and total return would have been lower.

⁵ Amount less than $1 million.

⁶ Based on operations for a period that is less than a full year.

⁷ For the period May 1, 2013, commencement of operations, through December 31, 2013.

⁸ Not annualized.

⁹ Annualized.

¹⁰ Amount less than $.01.

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 18

Other fund information Shares of the Series are currently offered to insurance company separate accounts funding both variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Interests of various contract owners participating in the Series may be in conflict. The board of trustees of the Series will monitor for the existence of any material conflicts and determine what action, if any, should be taken. Shares may be purchased or redeemed by the separate accounts without any sales or redemption charges at net asset value.

Annual/Semi-annual report to shareholders The shareholder reports contain additional information about the Series, including financial statements, investment results, portfolio holdings, a discussion of market conditions and the Series’ investment strategies, and the independent registered public accounting firm’s report (in the annual report).

Statement of additional information (SAI) and codes of ethics The current SAI, as amended from time to time, contains more detailed information about the Series, including the funds’ financial statements, and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This means that the current SAI, for legal purposes, is part of this prospectus. The codes of ethics describe the personal investing policies adopted by the Series, the Series’ investment adviser and its affiliated companies.

The codes of ethics and current SAI are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These and other related materials about the Series are available for review or to be copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., (202) 551-8090, on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at sec.gov or, after payment of a duplicating fee, via email request to [email protected] or by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

The current SAI and annual/semi-annual reports to shareholders can be found online at americanfunds.com/afis and may be available on the website of the company that issued your insurance contract. You also may request a free copy of these documents or the codes of ethics by calling American Funds at (800) 421-9900, ext. 65413 or writing to the Secretary at 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, California 90071.


	Investment Company File No. 811-03857

American Funds Insurance Series^®

Prospectus
Class P2 shares

[October 1], 2018

Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund

Table of contents



Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund 1		Investment objectives, strategies and risks 7 Management and organization 12 Purchases and redemptions of shares 14 Plan of distribution 16 Fund expenses 16 Investment results 16 Distributions and taxes 16 Financial highlights 17
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined that this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund

Investment objectives The fund’s investment objectives are to achieve long-term growth of capital and income while seeking to manage volatility and provide downside protection.

Fees and expenses of the fund This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold an interest in Class P2 shares of the fund. It does not reflect insurance contract fees and expenses. 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 fees	0.25
Other expenses	0.30
Acquired (underlying) fund fees and expenses	0.29
Total annual fund operating expenses	0.99
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement^*	0.07
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement	0.92

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.


	1 year	3 years	5 years	10 years
Class P2	$94	$308	$540	$1,207

1 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

Principal risks

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 2

3 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus 4

Investment results The 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 and other applicable measures of market results. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The fund has selected the S&P 500 Managed Risk Index – Moderate to replace the S&P 500 Index as its broad-based securities market index. The fund's investment adviser believes that the S&P 500 Managed Risk Index – Moderate better reflects the market sectors and securities in which the underlying funds primarily invest and the investment strategies employed by the adviser in seeking to achieve the fund's investment objective. 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. Updated information on the fund’s investment results can be obtained by visiting americanfunds.com/afis.

[bar chart to be updated to reflect most recent quarterly returns]


Average annual total returns For the periods ended December 31, 2017:	1 year	Lifetime
Fund (inception date – 5/1/13)	20.40%	8.94%
S&P 500 Managed Risk Index – Moderate (reflects no deduction for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes)	16.02	9.44
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes)	21.83	14.26

5 American Funds Insurance Series — Managed Risk Growth-Income Fund / Prospectus

Management

Investment adviser Capital Research and Management Company^SM

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
Alan N. Berro President	5 years	Partner – Capital World Investors
James R. Mulally	5 years	Partner – Capital Fixed Income Investors

Subadviser portfolio manager The individual primarily responsible for the management of the fund’s managed risk strategy is:


Portfolio manager	Portfolio manager experience in this fund	Primary title with subadviser
Adam Schenck	5 years	Director – Portfolio Management Group, Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC

Portfolio managers of the underlying fund The individuals primarily responsible for the portfolio management of the Growth-Income Fund are:


Portfolio manager/ Series title (if applicable)	Portfolio manager experience in the Growth-Income Fund	Primary title with investment adviser
Donald D. O’Neal Vice Chairman of the Board	13 years	Partner – Capital International Investors
Dylan Yolles Vice President	13 years	Partner – Capital International Investors
J. Blair Frank	12 years	Partner – Capital Research Global Investors
Claudia P. Huntington	24 years	Partner – Capital Research Global Investors
S. Keiko McKibben	4 years	Partner – Capital Research Global Investors
William L. Robbins	6 years	Partner – Capital International Investors

The individuals primarily responsible for the portfolio management of the Bond Fund are:


Portfolio manager/ Series title (if applicable)	Portfolio manager experience in the Bond Fund	Primary title with investment adviser
Pramod Atluri	2 years	Vice President – Capital Fixed Income Investors
David A. Hoag	11 years	Partner – Capital Fixed Income Investors