Shareholder Services Transfer Agent or its agent will investigate all inquiries from Shareholders of a Fund relating to Shareholder accounts and will respond to all communications from Shareholders and others relating to its duties hereunder and such other correspondence as may from time to time be mutually agreed upon between Transfer Agent and a Fund. Transfer Agent shall provide each Fund with reports concerning Shareholder inquires and the responses thereto by Transfer Agent, in such form and at such times as are agreed to by the Fund and Transfer Agent.
Stockholder Services (i) Manage services for and communications with Stockholders, including answering phone calls, preparing and sending written and electronic reports and other communications;
(ii) Oversee the performance of the transfer agent and registrar;
(iii) Establish technology infrastructure to assist in providing Stockholder support and service; and
(iv) Consistent with Section 3.01, the Advisor shall perform the various subscription processing services reasonably necessary for the admission of new Stockholders.
Transfer Agent Services The Transfer Agent will perform the following services: In accordance with the procedures established from time to time by agreement between the Fund and the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent shall:
(a) issue and record the appropriate number of Shares as authorized and hold such Shares in the appropriate Shareholder account;
(b) effect transfers of Shares by the registered owners thereof upon receipt of appropriate documentation;
(c) act as agent for Shareholders pursuant to dividend reinvestment plans, and other investment programs as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms of the agreements relating thereto to which the Transfer Agent is or will be a party;
(d) issue replacement certificates for those certificates alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed upon receipt by the Transfer Agent of an open penalty surety bond satisfactory to it and holding it and the Fund harmless, absent notice to the Fund and the Transfer Agent that such certificates have been acquired by a bona fide purchaser. The Transfer Agent, at its option, may issue replacement certificates in place of mutilated stock certificates upon presentation thereof without such indemnity. Further, the Transfer Agent may at its sole option accept indemnification from the Fund to issue replacement certificates for those certificates alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed in lieu of an open penalty bond;
(e) prepare and transmit payments for dividends and distributions declared by the Fund, provided good funds for said dividends or distributions are received by the Transfer Agent prior to the scheduled payable date for said dividends or distributions;
(f) issue replacement checks and place stop orders on original checks based on shareholder’s representation that a check was not received or was lost. Such stop orders and replacements will be deemed to have been made at the request of the Fund, and the Fund shall be responsible for all losses or claims resulting from such replacement; and
(g) Receive all payments made to the Fund or the Transfer Agent under any dividend reinvestment plan, direct stock purchase plan, and plans and make all payments required to be made under such plans, including all payments required to be made to the Fund.
Transfer Agency Services Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, each Fund, on behalf of itself and, where applicable, its Portfolios, hereby employs and appoints the Transfer Agent to act as, and the Transfer Agent agrees to act as, its transfer agent for each class of each Fund’s now or hereafter authorized and issued shares (“Shares”), dividend disbursing agent and shareholder servicing agent in connection with any dividend reinvestment, accumulation, open-account or similar plan provided to the shareholders of each Fund and of any Portfolios of a Fund (“Shareholders”) as set out in the currently effective prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (the “prospectus”) of each Fund as provided to the Transfer Agent by each Fund, including without limitation any periodic investment plan or periodic withdrawal program. In accordance with procedures established from time to time by agreement between the Transfer Agent and each of the Funds (the “Procedures”) and the Service Levels (defined below) to be established by the parties, in each case with such changes or deviations therefrom as have been (or may from time to time be) agreed upon in writing by the parties, the Transfer Agent agrees that it will perform the following services (all such services referred to herein as the “Services”):
(a) Establish each Shareholder’s account in the Fund on the Transfer Agent’s recordkeeping system and maintain such account for the benefit of such Shareholder in accordance with the Procedures;
(b) Receive for acceptance and process orders for the purchase of Shares, and promptly deliver payment and appropriate documentation thereof to the custodian of the assets of the Fund (the “Custodian”) and assist the Fund’s administrator with the calculation and payment of commissions and distribution and shareholder servicing fees to dealers related to such orders;
(c) Pursuant to purchase orders, issue the appropriate number of Shares and hold such Shares in book entry form in the appropriate Shareholder account;
(d) Receive for acceptance and process redemption requests and redemption directions and deliver the appropriate documentation thereof to the Custodian;
(e) In respect to items (b) through (d) above, the Transfer Agent may execute transactions directly with broker-dealers authorized by the Fund;
(f) At the appropriate time as and when it receives monies paid to it by the Custodian with respect to any redemption, pay over or cause to be paid over in the appropriate manner such monies as instructed by the redeeming Shareholders;
(g) Effect transfers of Shares by the registered owners thereof upon receipt of appropriate instructions;
(h) Prepare and transmit payments for dividends and distributions declared by the Fund or any Portfolio thereof, as the case may be;
(i) If applicable, issue replacement certificates for those certificates alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed upon receipt by the Transfer Agent of indemnification satisfactory to the Transfer Agent and protecting the Transfer Agent and the Fund, and the Transfer Agent at its option, may issue replacement certificates in place of mutilated stock certificates upon presentation thereof and without such indemnity;
(j) If applicable, issue replacement checks and place stop orders on original checks based on Shareholder’s representation that a check was not received or was lost. Such stop orders and replacements will be deemed to have been made at the request of the Fund, and, as between the Fund and the Transfer Agent, the Fund shall be responsible for all losses or claims resulting from such replacement;
(k) Maintain records of account for and advise the Fund and its Shareholders as to the foregoing;
(l) Record the issuance of Shares of the Fund and maintain pursuant to Rule 17Ad-10(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) a record of the total number of Shares of the Fund which are authorized, based upon data provided to it by the Fund, and issued and outstanding. The Transfer Agent shall also provide the Fund on a regular basis with the total number of Shares which are authorized and issued and outstanding but shall have no obligation, when recording the issuance of Shares, to monitor the issuance of such Shares or to take cognizance of any laws relating to the issue or sale of such Shares, which functions shall be the sole responsibility of the Fund;
(m) Accept any information, records, documents, data, certificates, transaction requests by machine readable input, facsimile, data entry and electronic instructions, including e-mail communications, which have been prepared, maintained or provided by the Fund or any other person or firm on behalf of the Fund or from broker-dealers of record or third-party administrators (“TPAs”) on behalf of individual Shareholders. With respect to transaction requests received in the foregoing manner, the Transfer Agent shall not be responsible for determining that the original source documentation is in good order, which includes compliance with Rule 22c-1 under the 1940 Act, and it will be the responsibility of the Fund to require its broker-dealers or TPAs to retain such documentation. E-mail exchanges on routine matters may be made directly with the Fund’s contact at the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent will not act on any e-mail communications coming to it directly from Shareholders requesting transactions, including, but not limited to, monetary transactions, change of ownership, or beneficiary changes;
(n) Open, maintain and manage, as agent for the Fund, such bank accounts as the Transfer Agent shall deem necessary for the performance of its duties under this Agreement, including but not limited to, the processing of Share purchases and redemptions and the payment of Fund dividends and distributions. The Transfer Agent may maintain such accounts at State Street Bank and Trust Company;
(o) Receive correspondence pertaining to any former, existing or new Shareholder account, process such correspondence for proper recordkeeping and respond to Shareholder correspondence;
(p) Process any request from a Shareholder to change account registration, beneficiary, beneficiary information, transfer and rollovers in accordance with the Procedures.
Services of the Sub-Advisor Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, the oversight and supervision of the Advisor and the Trust’s Board of Trustees, the Sub-Advisor will perform certain of the day-to-day operations of the Fund, which may include one or more of the following services, at the request of the Advisor: (a) acting as investment advisor for and managing the investment and reinvestment of those assets of the Fund as the Advisor may from time to time request and in connection therewith have complete discretion in purchasing and selling such securities and other assets for the Fund and in voting, exercising consents and exercising all other rights appertaining to such securities and other assets on behalf of the Fund; (b) arranging, subject to the provisions of Section 3 hereof, for the purchase and sale of securities and other assets of the Fund; (c) providing investment research and credit analysis concerning the Fund’s investments; (d) assisting the Advisor in determining what portion of the Fund’s assets will be invested in cash, cash equivalents and money market instruments; (e) placing orders for all purchases and sales of such investments made for the Fund; and (f) maintaining the books and records as are required to support Fund investment operations. At the request of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor will also, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Advisor and the Trust’s Board of Trustees, provide to the Advisor or the Trust any of the facilities and equipment and perform any of the services described in Section 4 of the Advisory Agreement. In addition, the Sub-Advisor will keep the Trust and the Advisor informed of developments materially affecting the Fund and shall, on its own initiative, furnish to the Fund from time to time whatever information the Sub-Advisor believes appropriate for this purpose. The Sub-Advisor will periodically communicate to the Advisor, at such times as the Advisor may direct, information concerning the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund, including: (a) the name of the issuer, (b) the amount of the purchase or sale, (c) the name of the broker or dealer, if any, through which the purchase or sale will be effected, (d) the CUSIP number of the instrument, if any, and (e) such other information as the Advisor may reasonably require for purposes of fulfilling its obligations to the Trust under the Advisory Agreement. The Sub-Advisor will provide the services rendered by it under this Agreement in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (as currently in effect and as they may be amended or supplemented from time to time) and the resolutions of the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Sub-Advisor represents, warrants and covenants that it is authorized and regulated by the FCA.
Transfer Agent and Registrar The Trustees shall have power to employ a transfer agent or transfer agents, and a registrar or registrars, with respect to the Shares. The transfer agent or transfer agents may keep the applicable register and record therein, the original issues and transfers, if any, of the said Shares. Any such transfer agents and/or registrars shall perform the duties usually performed by transfer agents and registrars of certificates of stock in a corporation, as modified by the Trustees.
Shareholder Internet Services The Transfer Agent shall provide internet access to the Fund’s shareholders through a designated web site (“Shareholder Internet Services”), which will be accessed by the Fund’s shareholders via a link on the Fund’s web site. The Shareholder Internet Services will be provided pursuant to established procedures and will allow shareholders to view their account information and perform certain on-line transaction request capabilities. The Shareholder Internet Services shall be provided at no additional charge, other than the transaction fees currently being charged for the different transactions as described on the Fee Schedule. The Transfer Agent reserves the right to charge a fee for this service in the future.
Co-Transfer Agents The Depositary may appoint one or more co-transfer agents for the purpose of effecting transfers, combinations and split-ups of Receipts at designated transfer offices on behalf of the Depositary. In carrying out its functions, a co-transfer agent may require evidence of authority and compliance with applicable laws and other requirements by Holders or persons entitled to such Receipts and will be entitled to protection and indemnity, in each case to the same extent as the Depositary. Such co-transfer agents may be removed and substitutes appointed by the Depositary. Each co-transfer agent appointed under this Section 2.5 (other than the Depositary) shall give notice in writing to the Depositary accepting such appointment and agreeing to be bound by the applicable terms of this Deposit Agreement.
Shareholder Servicing All expenses of maintaining and servicing shareholder accounts, including but not limited to the charges of any shareholder servicing agent, dividend disbursing agent, transfer agent or other agent engaged by the Trust to service shareholder accounts.
Custody Services The Fund, on behalf of the Series, will open with Mellon one or more custody account(s) designated "Series" (such designated custody account(s) hereinafter referred to as "Series Account"). The Series Account will contain the appropriate designation in its title and will be operated subject to the terms of the Custodian Agreement between Mellon and the Fund.
