# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0000809707
**File Stem:** 0001741773-23-000666
**Filing Date:** 2023-3
**Character Count:** 42616
**Document Hash:** 6a6b8db13e683d38789d826149843b86
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001741773-23-000666.hdr.sgml**: 20230301

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001741773-23-000666

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 497K

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 5

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20230301

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20230301

**EFFECTIVENESS DATE**: 20230301

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** Franklin Investors Securities Trust
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0000809707
- **IRS NUMBER:** 000000000
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1031

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 497K
- **SEC ACT:** 1933 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 033-11444
- **FILM NUMBER:** 23691104

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY
- **CITY:** SAN MATEO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94403-1906
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 650-312-2200

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY
- **CITY:** SAN MATEO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94403-1906

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** FRANKLIN INVESTORS SECURITIES TRUST
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 19920703

## Series and Classes Contracts Data

### FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND (Series ID: S000006857)

| Class ID   | Class Name    | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000018526 | Class A       | FKBAX           |
| C000018528 | Class C       | FCTLX           |
| C000018529 | Advisor Class | FBDAX           |
| C000018530 | Class R       | FTRRX           |
| C000128883 | Class R6      | FRERX           |

---

| |
|:---|
| **SUMMARY PROSPECTUS** |
| **FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND** |
| March 1, 2023 |
| ![](img_5307251dd2064f1.jpg) |

---

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Class A** | **Class C** | **Class R** | **Class R6** | **Advisor Class** |
| FKBAX | FCTLX | FTRRX | FRERX | FBDAX |

---

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund's prospectus, statement of additional information, reports to shareholders and other information about the Fund online at www.franklintempleton.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236 or by sending an e-mail request to prospectus@franklintempleton.com. The Fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated March 1, 2023, as may be supplemented, are all incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

### Franklin Total Return Fund
Investment Goal

High current income, consistent with preservation of capital. As a secondary goal, capital appreciation over the long term.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Franklin Templeton funds and certain other funds distributed through Franklin Distributors, LLC, the Fund's distributor. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under "Your Account" on page 136 in the Fund's Prospectus and under "Buying and Selling Shares" on page 90 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information. In addition, more information about sales charge discounts and waivers for purchases of shares through specific financial intermediaries is set forth in Appendix A – "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers" to the Fund's prospectus.

Please note that the tables and examples below do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries, or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling Class R6 or Advisor Class shares.

#### Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | **Class A** | **Class C** | **Class R** | **Class R6** | **Advisor <br>Class** |
| Maximum Sales Charge (Load) <br>Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) | Maximum Sales Charge (Load) <br>Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) | 3.75% |  |  |  |  |
| Maximum Deferred Sales Charge <br>(Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) | Maximum Deferred Sales Charge <br>(Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) | None<br><sup>1</sup>  | 1.00% |  |  |  |
| <sup>1.</sup> | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $500,000 or more (see "Investment of $500,000 or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $500,000 or more (see "Investment of $500,000 or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $500,000 or more (see "Investment of $500,000 or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $500,000 or more (see "Investment of $500,000 or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $500,000 or more (see "Investment of $500,000 or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $500,000 or more (see "Investment of $500,000 or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. |

---

<br>  <br> 2 Summary Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

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

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Class A** | **Class C** | **Class R** | **Class R6** | **Advisor <br>Class** |
| Management fees | 0.47% | 0.47% | 0.47% | 0.47% | 0.47% |
| Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | 0.25% | 0.65% | 0.50% |  |  |
| Other expenses | 0.20% | 0.20% | 0.20% | 0.09% | 0.19% |
| Acquired fund fees and expenses | 0.08% | 0.08% | 0.08% | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Total annual Fund operating expenses<sup>1</sup> | 1.00% | 1.40% | 1.25% | 0.64% | 0.74% |
| Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement<sup>2</sup> | -0.09% | -0.09% | -0.09% | -0.12% | -0.08% |
| **Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement** | **0.91%** | **1.31%** | **1.16%** | **0.52%** | **0.66%** |

---

<sup>1.</sup> Total annual Fund operating expenses differ from the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights, which reflect the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

<sup>2</sup> The investment manager has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse operating expenses (excluding the Rule 12b-1 fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, and certain non-routine expenses or costs, such as those relating to litigation, indemnification, reorganizations and liquidations) for the Fund so that the ratio of total annual fund operating expenses will not exceed 0.58% for each share class except Class R6 and 0.47% for Class R6. The investment manager has also agreed to reduce its fees to reflect reduced services resulting from the Fund's investments in Franklin Templeton affiliated funds. In addition, the transfer agent has agreed to limit its fees on Class R6 shares of the Fund so that transfer agency fees for that class do not exceed 0.00%. These arrangements are expected to continue until February 29, 2024. During the terms, the fee waiver and expense reimbursement agreements may not be terminated or amended without approval of the board of trustees except to add series or classes, to reflect the extension of termination dates or to lower the waiver and expense limitation (which would result in lower fees for shareholders).

#### Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of the period. 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 reflects adjustments made to the Fund's operating expenses due to the fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by management for the 1 Year numbers only. 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 A** | $464 | $672 | $898 | $1545 |
| **Class C** | $233 | $434 | $757 | $1562 |
| **Class R** | $118 | $387 | $677 | $1503 |
| **Class R6** | $53 | $192 | $344 | $786 |
| **Advisor Class** | $67 | $228 | $403 | $910 |
| If you do not sell your shares: |  |  |  |  |
| **Class C** | $133 | $434 | $757 | $1562 |

---

<br>  <br> franklintempleton.com Summary Prospectus 3

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 197.26% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in debt securities, which may be represented by derivative investments that provide exposure to debt securities such as futures, options and swap agreements. The debt securities in which the Fund may invest include government and corporate debt securities, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, floating interest rate corporate loans and debt securities and municipal securities.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in investment grade debt securities and in unrated securities that the investment manager deems are of comparable quality. Derivatives whose reference securities are investment grade are considered by the Fund to be investment grade. The Fund's focus on the credit quality of its portfolio is intended to reduce credit risk and help to preserve the Fund's capital.

The Fund also may invest up to 20% of its total assets in non-investment grade securities, including up to 5% in securities rated lower than B- by S&P<sup>®</sup> Global Ratings (S&P) or Moody's Investors Services (Moody's), which may include defaulted securities. (In calculating the above non-investment grade debt limitations, the Fund combines its non-investment grade debt securities with the net long and short exposure to non-investment grade debt securities from derivative instruments.) Excluding derivatives, the Fund invests no more than 33% of its total assets in non-investment grade debt securities, including no more than 5% in securities rated lower than B- by S&P or Moody's, which may include defaulted securities. For purposes of the credit limitations above, non-investment grade debt securities include unrated securities that the investment manager deems are of comparable quality. The Fund's investments in marketplace loans are not subject to the 5% limitations described above.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities, including up to 20% of its total assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities and up to 10% of its total assets in emerging market securities.

<br>  <br> 4 Summary Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in marketplace loans to consumers and small and mid-sized enterprises or companies (SMEs), which may include loans for individual leases, that may be originated through online lending platforms.

The Fund may invest in many different securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or by non-U.S. governments, or their respective agencies or instrumentalities, including mortgage-backed securities and inflation-indexed securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. Mortgage-backed securities represent an interest in a pool of mortgage loans made by banks and other financial institutions to finance purchases of homes, commercial buildings and other real estate. The individual mortgage loans are packaged or "pooled" together for sale to investors. As the underlying mortgage loans are paid off, investors receive principal and interest payments. These securities may be fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgage-backed securities (ARMS). The Fund may purchase or sell mortgage-backed securities on a delayed delivery or forward commitment basis through the "to-be-announced" (TBA) market. With TBA transactions, the particular securities to be delivered must meet specified terms and standards. The Fund may also invest a small portion of its assets directly in whole mortgage loans.

To pursue its investment goal, the Fund regularly enters into various derivative transactions, including currency forwards, currency, interest rate/bond futures contracts and options on interest rate futures contracts, options on exchange-traded funds, swap agreements, including interest rate, fixed income total return, currency and credit default swaps, options on interest rate and credit default swap agreements. The use of these derivative transactions may allow the Fund to obtain net long or short exposures to select currencies, interest rates, countries, duration or credit risks. These derivatives may be used to enhance Fund returns, increase liquidity, gain exposure to certain instruments or markets in a more efficient or less expensive way and/or hedge risks associated with its other portfolio investments.

The Fund may invest in mortgage dollar rolls. In a mortgage dollar roll, the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon, and maturity) securities on a specified future date. During the period between the sale and repurchase, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the mortgage-backed securities. The Fund earns money on a mortgage dollar roll from any difference between the sale price and the future purchase price, as well as the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale.

The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in structured fixed income securities, such as collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs"), which are generally a type of asset-backed securities. The Fund's investments in CDOs may include investments in collateralized loan obiligations (CLOs), which are a type of CDO.

<br>  <br> franklintempleton.com Summary Prospectus 5

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

In pursuing its investment goals, the Fund may gain exposure to particular investments by investing directly in securities or other instruments or by investing in other mutual funds or exchange-traded funds that provide exposure to such investments.

In choosing investments, the Fund's investment manager selects securities in various market sectors based on the investment manager's assessment of changing economic, market, industry and issuer conditions. The investment manager uses a "top-down" analysis of macroeconomic trends, combined with a "bottom-up" fundamental analysis of market sectors, industries and issuers, to try to take advantage of varying sector reactions to economic events.

Principal Risks

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government.

**Interest Rate** When interest rates rise, debt security prices generally fall. The opposite is also generally true: debt security prices rise when interest rates fall. Interest rate changes are influenced by a number of factors, including government policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, perceptions of risk, and supply of and demand for bonds. In general, securities with longer maturities or durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes.

**Credit** An issuer of debt securities may fail to make interest payments or repay principal when due, in whole or in part. Changes in an issuer's financial strength or in a security's or government's credit rating may affect a security's value.

**High-Yield Debt Securities** Issuers of lower-rated or "high-yield" debt securities (also known as "junk bonds") are not as strong financially as those issuing higher credit quality debt securities. High-yield debt securities are generally considered predominantly speculative by the applicable rating agencies as their issuers are more likely to encounter financial difficulties because they may be more highly leveraged, or because of other considerations. In addition, high yield debt securities generally are more vulnerable to changes in the relevant economy, such as a recession or a sustained period of rising interest rates, that could affect their ability to make interest and principal payments when due. The prices of high-yield debt securities generally fluctuate more than those of higher credit quality. High-yield debt securities are generally more illiquid (harder to sell) and harder to value.

**Floating Rate Corporate Investments** Floating rate corporate loans and corporate debt securities generally have credit ratings below investment grade and may be subject to resale restrictions. They are often issued in connection with

<br>  <br> 6 Summary Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

highly leveraged transactions, and may be subject to greater credit risks than other investments including the possibility of default or bankruptcy. In addition, a secondary market in corporate loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which may impair the ability to accurately value existing and prospective investments and to realize in a timely fashion the full value upon the sale of a corporate loan. A significant portion of floating rate investments may be "covenant lite" loans that may contain fewer or less restrictive constraints on the borrower or other borrower-friendly characteristics.

**Mortgage Securities and Asset-Backed Securities** Mortgage securities differ from conventional debt securities because principal is paid back periodically over the life of the security rather than at maturity. The Fund may receive unscheduled payments of principal due to voluntary prepayments, refinancings or foreclosures on the underlying mortgage loans. Because of prepayments, mortgage securities may be less effective than some other types of debt securities as a means of "locking in" long-term interest rates and may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of falling interest rates. A reduction in the anticipated rate of principal prepayments, especially during periods of rising interest rates, may increase or extend the effective maturity of mortgage securities, making them more sensitive to interest rate changes, subject to greater price volatility, and more susceptible than some other debt securities to a decline in market value when interest rates rise.

Issuers of asset-backed securities may have limited ability to enforce the security interest in the underlying assets, and credit enhancements provided to support the securities, if any, may be inadequate to protect investors in the event of default. Like mortgage securities, asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment and extension risks.

**Derivative Instruments** The performance of derivative instruments depends largely on the performance of an underlying instrument, such as a currency, security, interest rate or index, and such instruments often have risks similar to their underlying instrument, in addition to other risks. Derivative instruments involve costs and can create economic leverage in the Fund's portfolio which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as gains) in an amount that exceeds the Fund's initial investment. Other risks include illiquidity, mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative instrument, and imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument so that the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. When a derivative is used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the currency, security, interest rate, index or other risk being hedged. With

<br>  <br> franklintempleton.com Summary Prospectus 7

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

over-the-counter derivatives, there is the risk that the other party to the transaction will fail to perform.

**Income** The Fund's distributions to shareholders may decline when prevailing interest rates fall, when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds or when the Fund realizes a loss upon the sale of a debt security.

**Marketplace Loans** Marketplace loans are subject to the risks associated with debt investments generally, including but not limited to, interest rate, credit, liquidity, high yield debt, market and income risks. Marketplace loans generally are not rated by rating agencies, are often unsecured, and are highly risky and speculative investments. Lenders and investors, such as the Fund, assume all of the credit risk on the loans they fund or purchase and there are no assurances that payments due on underlying loans will be made. In addition, investments in marketplace loans may be adversely affected if the platform operator or a third-party service provider becomes unable or unwilling to fulfill its obligations in servicing the loans. Moreover, the Fund may have limited information about the underlying marketplace loans and information provided to the platform regarding the loans and the borrowers' credit information may be incomplete, inaccurate or outdated. It also may be difficult for the Fund to sell an investment in a marketplace loan before maturity at the price at which the Fund believes the loan should be valued because these loans typically are considered by the Fund to be illiquid securities.

**Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) The risks of an investment in a CDO, a type of asset backed security, and which includes CLOs, depend largely on the type of collateral held by the special purpose entity (SPE) and the tranche of the CDO in which the Fund invests and may be affected by the performance of a CDO's collateral manager. CDOs may be deemed to be illiquid and subject to the Fund's restrictions on investments in illiquid investments. In addition to the normal risks associated with debt securities and asset backed securities (e.g., interest rate risk, credit risk and default risk), CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or quality or go into default or be downgraded; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of a CDO that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment.**

**Foreign Securities (non-U.S.)** Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities, including risks related to currency exchange rates and policies, country or government specific issues, less favorable trading practices or regulation and greater price volatility. Certain of these risks also

<br>  <br> 8 Summary Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

may apply to securities of U.S. companies with significant foreign operations. The risks of investing in foreign securities are typically greater in less developed or emerging market countries.

**Currency Management Strategies** Currency management strategies may substantially change the Fund's exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses to the Fund if currencies do not perform as the investment manager expects. In addition, currency management strategies, to the extent that they reduce the Fund's exposure to currency risks, also reduce the Fund's ability to benefit from favorable changes in currency exchange rates. Using currency management strategies for purposes other than hedging further increases the Fund's exposure to foreign investment losses. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets. In addition, currency rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time, and can reduce returns.

**Sovereign Debt Securities** Sovereign debt securities are subject to various risks in addition to those relating to debt securities and foreign investments generally, including, but not limited to, the risk that a governmental entity may be unwilling or unable to pay interest and repay principal on its sovereign debt, or otherwise meet its obligations when due because of cash flow problems, insufficient foreign reserves, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the government's policy towards principal international lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, or the political considerations to which the government may be subject. If a sovereign debtor defaults (or threatens to default) on its sovereign debt obligations, the indebtedness may be restructured. Some sovereign debtors have in the past been able to restructure their debt payments without the approval of some or all debt holders or to declare moratoria on payments. In the event of a default on sovereign debt, the Fund may also have limited legal recourse against the defaulting government entity.

**Emerging Market Countries** The Fund's investments in emerging market countries are subject to all of the risks of foreign investing generally, and have additional heightened risks due to a lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets, including: delays in settling portfolio securities transactions; currency and capital controls; greater sensitivity to interest rate changes; pervasiveness of corruption and crime; currency exchange rate volatility; and inflation, deflation or currency devaluation.

**Extension** Some debt securities, particularly mortgage-backed securities, are subject to the risk that the debt security's effective maturity is extended because calls or prepayments are less or slower than anticipated, particularly when interest rates rise. The market value of such security may then decline and become more interest rate sensitive.

<br>  <br> franklintempleton.com Summary Prospectus 9

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

**Investing in Underlying Investment Companies** To the extent the Fund invests in underlying investment companies, including ETFs, the Fund's performance is related to the performance of the underlying investment companies held by it. In addition, shareholders of the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and expenses of the underlying investment companies and such investments may be more costly than if the Fund had owned the underlying securities directly. In addition, the Fund pays brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs.

**Prepayment** Prepayment risk occurs when a debt security can be repaid in whole or in part prior to the security's maturity and the Fund must reinvest the proceeds it receives, during periods of declining interest rates, in securities that pay a lower rate of interest. Also, if a security has been purchased at a premium, the value of the premium would be lost in the event of prepayment. Prepayments generally increase when interest rates fall.

**Mortgage Dollar Rolls** In a mortgage dollar roll, the Fund takes the risk that: the market price of the mortgage-backed securities will drop below their future repurchase price; the securities that it repurchases at a later date will have less favorable market characteristics; the other party to the agreement will not be able to perform; the roll adds leverage to the Fund's portfolio; and, it increases the Fund's sensitivity to interest rate changes. In addition, investment in mortgage dollar rolls may increase the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund.

**Liquidity** From time to time, the trading market for a particular security or type of security or other investments in which the Fund invests may become less liquid or even illiquid. Reduced liquidity will have an adverse impact on the Fund's ability to sell such securities or other investments when necessary to meet the Fund's liquidity needs, which may arise or increase in response to a specific economic event or because the investment manager wishes to purchase particular investments or believes that a higher level of liquidity would be advantageous. Reduced liquidity will also generally lower the value of such securities or other investments. Market prices for such securities or other investments may be relatively volatile.

**Variable Rate Securities** Because changes in interest rates on variable rate securities (including floating rate securities) may lag behind changes in market rates, the value of such securities may decline during periods of rising interest rates until their interest rates reset to market rates. During periods of declining interest rates, because the interest rates on variable rate securities generally reset downward, their market value is unlikely to rise to the same extent as the value of comparable fixed rate securities.

<br>  <br> 10 Summary Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

**Market** The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The market value of a security or other investment may be reduced by market activity or other results of supply and demand unrelated to the issuer. This is a basic risk associated with all investments. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices tend to fall. Likewise, when there are more buyers than sellers, prices tend to rise.

The global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in global travel restrictions and disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations and supply chains, layoffs, volatility in consumer demand for certain products, defaults and credit ratings downgrades, and other significant economic impacts. The effects of COVID-19 have impacted global economic activity across many industries and may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, locally or globally. The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable and may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**LIBOR Transition The Fund invests in financial instruments that may have floating or variable rate calculations for payment obligations or financing terms based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is the benchmark interest rate at which major global banks lent to one another in the international interbank market for short-term loans. In 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to cease compelling banks to provide the quotations needed to sustain LIBOR after 2021. Although many LIBOR rates were phased out at the end of 2021 as originally intended, a selection of widely used USD LIBOR rates will continue to be published until June 2023 in order to assist with the transition to an alternative rate. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies. There can be no guarantee that financial instruments that transition to an alternative reference rate will retain the same value or liquidity as they would otherwise have had.**

**Management** The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Fund's investment manager applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

**Portfolio Turnover** The investment manager will sell a security or enter or close out of a derivative position when it believes it is appropriate to do so, regardless of how long the Fund has held the security. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate may exceed 100% per year because of the anticipated use of certain investment strategies. The rate of portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor for the

<br>  <br> franklintempleton.com Summary Prospectus 11

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

investment manager in making decisions on when to buy or sell securities. High turnover will increase the Fund's transaction costs and may increase your tax liability if the transactions result in capital gains.

**Cybersecurity** Cybersecurity incidents, both intentional and unintentional, may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, cause the Fund, the investment manager and/or their service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing redeeming or exchanging or receiving distributions. The investment manager has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents affecting third party service providers, and such third party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or investment manager. Cybersecurity incidents may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders, and substantial costs may be incurred in an effort to prevent or mitigate future cybersecurity incidents. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Because technology is frequently changing, new ways to carry out cyber attacks are always developing. Therefore, there is a chance that some risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected, which puts limitations on the Fund's ability to plan for or respond to a cyber attack. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund, the investment manager and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time.

Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year for Class A shares. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable, compared with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You can obtain updated performance information at franklintempleton.com or by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.

<br>  <br> 12 Summary Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

#### Class A Annual Total Returns
![PerformanceBarChartData(2013:-0.98, 2014:5.98, 2015:-1.59, 2016:2.8, 2017:3.53, 2018:-1.81, 2019:9.09, 2020:7.17, 2021:-0.77, 2022:-14.99)](img_1dd34cc1aab24f1.jpg)

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Best Quarter:  | 2020, Q2 | 7.30% |
| Worst Quarter:  | 2022, Q2 | -6.91% |

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#### Average Annual Total Returns
(figures reflect sales charges)

For periods ended December 31, 2022

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | **1 Year** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** | **Since Inception** |
| **Franklin Total Return Fund - Class A** | **Franklin Total Return Fund - Class A** |  |  |  |  |
|  | Return before taxes | -18.20% | -1.40% | 0.24% |  |
|  | Return after taxes on distributions | -19.24% | -2.57% | -0.99% |  |
|  | Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | -10.75% | -1.49% | -0.32% |  |
| **Franklin Total Return Fund - Class C** | **Franklin Total Return Fund - Class C** | -16.06% | -1.01% | 0.24% |  |
| **Franklin Total Return Fund - Class R** | **Franklin Total Return Fund - Class R** | -15.07% | -0.87% | 0.39% |  |
| **Franklin Total Return Fund - Class R6** | **Franklin Total Return Fund - Class R6** | -14.68% | -0.28% |  | 0.83%<br><sup>1</sup> |
| **Franklin Total Return Fund - Advisor Class**  | **Franklin Total Return Fund - Advisor Class**  | -14.71% | -0.40% | 0.87% |  |
| Bloomberg US Aggregate Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | Bloomberg US Aggregate Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -13.01% | 0.02% | 1.06% |  |
| <sup>1.</sup> | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. |  |

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The figures in the average annual total returns table above reflect the Class A shares maximum front-end sales charge of 3.75%. Prior to March 1, 2019, Class A shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 4.25%. If the prior maximum front-end sales charge of 4.25% was reflected, performance for Class A shares in the average annual total returns table would be lower.

<br>  <br> franklintempleton.com Summary Prospectus 13

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

The after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown only for Class A and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Investment Manager

Franklin Advisers, Inc. (Advisers)

Portfolio Managers

**Sonal Desai, Ph.D.** <br>Executive Vice President and Director of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2018.

**Patrick Klein, Ph.D.**<br>Senior Vice President of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2019.

<br>  <br> 14 Summary Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN TOTAL RETURN FUND<br>SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

**Tina Chou**<br>Portfolio Manager of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2019.

**Thomas Runkel, CFA** <br>Vice President of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since August 2022.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day online through our website at franklintempleton.com, by mail (Franklin Templeton Investor Services, P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151), or by telephone at (800) 632-2301. For Class A, C and R, the minimum initial purchase for most accounts is $1,000 (or $25 under an automatic investment plan). Class R6 and Advisor Class are only available to certain qualified investors and the minimum initial investment will vary depending on the type of qualified investor, as described under "Your Account — Choosing a Share Class — Qualified Investors — Class R6" and "— Advisor Class" in the Fund's prospectus. There is no minimum investment for subsequent purchases.

Taxes

The Fund's distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, in which case your distributions would generally be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-advantaged account.

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 a bank), the Fund and its related companies 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 salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

<br>  <br> franklintempleton.com Summary Prospectus 15

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|:---|:---|
| ![](img_108cb38caa244f1.jpg) |  |
|  | Franklin Distributors, LLC<br>One Franklin Parkway<br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906<br>franklintempleton.com<br>**Franklin Total Return Fund** |

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| Investment Company Act file #811-04986<br>© 2023 Franklin Templeton. All rights reserved.<br>![](img_5e22cf3388ff4f1.jpg) 10% Total Recycled Fiber 00070383 | 460 PSUM 03/23 |

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