TRANSFER AGENT SERVICING AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into as of this
_____ day of __________, 1999, by and between Bearguard
Funds, Inc., a Maryland corporation (hereinafter
referred to as the "Company"), and Firstar Mutual Fund
Services, LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company
(hereinafter referred to as the "Firstar").
WHEREAS, the Company is an open-end management
investment company which is registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act");
WHEREAS, the Company is authorized to create
separate series, each with its own separate investment
portfolio;
WHEREAS, Firstar is in the business of
administering transfer and dividend disbursing agent
functions for investment companies; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain Firstar to
provide transfer and dividend disbursing agent services
to the Bearguard Fund and each additional series of the
Company listed on Exhibit A attached hereto (each, a
"Fund"), as may be amended from time to time.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual
agreements herein made, the Company and Firstar agree
as follows:
1. Appointment of Transfer Agent
The Company hereby appoints Firstar as Transfer
Agent of the Company on the terms and conditions set
forth in this Agreement, and Firstar hereby accepts
such appointment and agrees to perform the services and
duties set forth in this Agreement in consideration of
the compensation provided for herein.
2. Duties and Responsibilities of Firstar
Firstar shall perform all of the customary
services of a transfer agent and dividend disbursing
agent, and as relevant, agent in connection with
accumulation, open account or similar plans (including
without limitation any periodic investment plan or
periodic withdrawal program), including but not limited
to:
A. Receive orders for the purchase of shares;
B. Process purchase orders with prompt delivery,
where appropriate, of payment and supporting
documentation to the Company's custodian, and
issue the appropriate number of
uncertificated shares with such
uncertificated shares being held in the
appropriate shareholder account;
C. Process redemption requests received in good
order and, where relevant, deliver
appropriate documentation to the Company's
custodian;
D. Pay monies upon receipt from the Company's
custodian, where relevant, in accordance with
the instructions of redeeming shareholders;
E. Process transfers of shares in accordance with
the shareholder's instructions;
F. Process exchanges between funds and/or classes
of shares of funds both within the same
family of funds and with the Firstar Money
Market Funds, if applicable;
G. Prepare and transmit payments for dividends and
distributions declared by the Company with
respect to the Fund;
H. Make changes to shareholder records, including,
but not limited to, address changes in plans
(i.e., systematic withdrawal, automatic
investment, dividend reinvestment, etc.);
I. Record the issuance of shares of the Fund and
maintain, pursuant to Rule 17ad-10(e)
promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), a
record of the total number of shares of the
Fund which are authorized, issued and
outstanding;
J. Prepare shareholder meeting lists and, if
applicable, mail, receive and tabulate
proxies;
K. Mail shareholder reports and prospectuses to
current shareholders;
L. Prepare and file U.S. Treasury Department Forms
1099 and other appropriate information
returns required with respect to dividends
and distributions for all shareholders;
M. Provide shareholder account information upon
request and prepare and mail confirmations
and statements of account to shareholders for
all purchases, redemptions and other
confirmable transactions as agreed upon with
the Company;
N. Provide a Blue Sky System which will enable the
Company to monitor the total number of shares
of the Fund sold in each state. In addition,
the Company or its agent, including Firstar,
shall identify to Firstar in writing those
transactions and assets to be treated as
exempt from the Blue Sky reporting for each
state. The responsibility of Firstar for the
Company's Blue Sky state registration status
under this Agreement is solely limited to the
initial compliance by the Company and the
reporting of such transactions to the Company
or its agent.
O. Answer telephone calls and correspondence from
shareholders relating to their accounts
during Firstar's normal business hours.
Firstar shall strive to promptly respond to
all such telephone or written inquiries from
shareholders. Copies of all correspondence
from shareholders involving complaints about
the management of the Company, services
provided by or for the Company, Firstar or
others, shall be promptly forwarded to the
Company. Firstar shall keep records of
substantive shareholder telephone calls and
correspondence and replies thereto, and of
the lapse of time between receipt of such
calls and correspondence and replies.
P. Prepare such reports as may be reasonably
requested from time to time by the Company or
its Board of Directors relating to fees paid
out under a Fund's Rule 12b-1 plan.
3. Compensation
The Company agrees to pay Firstar for the
performance of the duties listed in this Agreement as
set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto; the fees and
out-of-pocket expenses include, but are not limited to
the following: printing, postage, forms, stationery,
record retention (if requested by the Company),
mailing, insertion, programming (if requested by the
Company), labels, shareholder lists and proxy expenses.
These fees and reimbursable expenses may be
changed from time to time subject to mutual written
agreement between the Company and Firstar.
The Company agrees to pay all fees and
reimbursable expenses within ten (10) business days
following the receipt of the billing notice.
4. Representations of Firstar
Firstar represents and warrants to the Company that:
A. It is a limited liability company duly
organized, existing and in good standing
under the laws of Wisconsin;
B. It is a registered transfer agent under the
Exchange Act.
C. It is duly qualified to carry on its business in
the State of Wisconsin;
D. It is empowered under applicable laws and by its
charter and bylaws to enter into and perform
this Agreement;
E. All requisite corporate proceedings have been
taken to authorize it to enter and perform
this Agreement;
F. It has and will continue to have access to the
necessary facilities, equipment and personnel
to perform its duties and obligations under
this Agreement; and
G. It will comply with all applicable requirements
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "Securities Act"), and the Exchange Act,
the 1940 Act, and any laws, rules, and
regulations of governmental authorities
having jurisdiction.
5. Representations of the Company
The Company represents and warrants to Firstar that:
A. The Company is an open-end diversified
investment company under the 1940 Act;
B. The Company is a corporation organized,
existing, and in good standing under the laws
of Maryland;
C. The Company is empowered under applicable laws
and by its Articles of Incorporation and
Bylaws to enter into and perform this
Agreement;
D. All necessary proceedings required by the
Articles of Incorporation have been taken to
authorize it to enter into and perform this
Agreement;
E. The Company will comply with all applicable
requirements of the Securities Act, the
Exchange Act, the 1940 Act, and any laws,
rules and regulations of governmental
authorities having jurisdiction; and
F. A registration statement under the Securities
Act will be made effective and will remain
effective, and appropriate state securities
law filings have been made and will continue
to be made, with respect to all shares of the
Company being offered for sale.
6. Covenants of the Company and Firstar
The Company shall furnish Firstar a certified copy
of the resolution of the Board of Directors of the
Fund authorizing the appointment of Firstar and the
execution of this Agreement. The Company shall provide
to Firstar a copy of its Articles of Incorporation and
Bylaws, and all amendments thereto.
Firstar shall keep records relating to the
services to be performed hereunder, in the form and
manner as it may deem advisable and as required under
the Exchange Act. To the extent required by Section 31
of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder, Firstar
agrees that all such records prepared or maintained by
Firstar relating to the services to be performed by
Firstar hereunder are the property of the Company and
will be preserved, maintained and made available
in accordance with such section and rules and will be
surrendered to the Company on and in accordance with
its request.
7. Performance of Service; Limitation of Liability
Firstar shall exercise reasonable care in the
performance of its duties under this Agreement.
Firstar shall not be liable for any error of judgment
or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the
Company in connection with matters to which this
Agreement relates, including losses resulting from
mechanical breakdowns or the failure of communication
or power supplies beyond Firstar's control, except a
loss resulting from Firstar's refusal or failure to
comply with the terms of this Agreement or from bad
faith, negligence, or willful misconduct on its part in
the performance of its duties under this Agreement.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement,
the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless Firstar
from and against any and all claims, demands, losses,
expenses, and liabilities (whether with or without
basis in fact or law) of any and every nature
(including reasonable attorneys' fees) which Firstar
may sustain or incur or which may be asserted against
Firstar by any person arising out of any action taken
or omitted to be taken by it in performing the services
hereunder (i) in accordance with the foregoing
standards, or (ii) in reliance upon any written or oral
instruction provided to Firstar by any duly authorized
officer of the Company, such duly authorized officer to
be included in a list of authorized officers furnished
to Firstar and as amended from time to time in writing
by resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company.
Firstar shall indemnify and hold the Company
harmless from and against any and all claims, demands,
losses, expenses, and liabilities (whether with or
without basis in fact or law) of any and every nature
(including reasonable attorneys' fees) which the
Company may sustain or incur or which may be asserted
against the Company by any person arising out of any
action taken or omitted to be taken by Firstar as a
result of Firstar's refusal or failure to comply with
the terms of this Agreement, its bad faith, negligence,
or willful misconduct.
In the event of a mechanical breakdown or failure
of communication or power supplies beyond its control,
Firstar shall take all reasonable steps to minimize
service interruptions for any period that such
interruption continues beyond Firstar's control.
Firstar will make every reasonable effort to restore
any lost or damaged data and correct any errors
resulting from such a breakdown at the expense of
Firstar. Firstar agrees that it shall, at all times,
have reasonable contingency plans with appropriate
parties, making reasonable provision for emergency use
of electrical data processing equipment to the extent
appropriate equipment is available. Representatives of
the Company shall be entitled to inspect Firstar's
premises and operating capabilities at any time during
regular business hours of Firstar, upon reasonable
notice to Firstar.
Regardless of the above, Firstar reserves the
right to reprocess and correct administrative errors at
its own expense.
In order that the indemnification provisions
contained in this section shall apply, it is understood
that if in any case the indemnitor may be asked to
indemnify or hold the indemnitee
harmless, the indemnitor shall be fully and promptly advised
of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in question,
and it is further understood that the indemnitee will
use all reasonable care to notify the indemnitor
promptly concerning any situation which presents or
appears likely to present the probability of a claim
for indemnification. The indemnitor shall have the
option to defend the indemnitee against any claim which
may be the subject of this indemnification. In the
event that the indemnitor so elects, it will so notify
the indemnitee and thereupon the indemnitor shall take
over complete defense of the claim, and the indemnitee
shall in such situation initiate no further legal or
other expenses for which it shall seek indemnification
under this section. The indemnitee shall in no case
confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in
which the indemnitor will be asked to indemnify the
indemnitee except with the indemnitor's prior written
consent.
8. Proprietary and Confidential Information
Firstar agrees on behalf of itself and its
directors, officers, and employees to treat
confidentially and as proprietary information of the
Company all records and other information relative to
the Company and prior, present, or potential
shareholders (and clients of said shareholders) and not
to use such records and information for any purpose
other than the performance of its responsibilities and
duties hereunder, except after prior notification to
and approval in writing by the Company, which approval
shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be
withheld where Firstar may be exposed to civil or
criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply
after being requested to divulge such information by
duly constituted authorities, or when so requested by
the Company.
9. Term of Agreement; Amendment
This Agreement shall become effective as of the
date hereof and, unless sooner terminated as provided
herein, shall continue automatically in effect for
successive annual periods. The Agreement may be
terminated by either party upon giving ninety (90) days
prior written notice to the other party or such shorter
period as is mutually agreed upon by the parties. This
Agreement may be amended only by mutual written consent
of the parties.
10. Notices
Notices of any kind to be given by either party to
the other party shall be in writing and shall be duly
given if mailed or delivered as follows: Notice to
Firstar shall be sent to:
Firstar Mutual Fund Services, LLC
000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
and notice to the Company shall be sent to:
Bearguard Funds, Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00
Xxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Secretary
11. Duties in the Event of Termination
In the event that, in connection with termination,
a successor to any of Firstar's duties or
responsibilities hereunder is designated by the Company
by written notice to Firstar, Firstar will promptly,
upon such termination and at the expense of the
Company, transfer to such successor all relevant books,
records, correspondence, and other data established or
maintained by Firstar under this Agreement in a form
reasonably acceptable to the Company (if such form
differs from the form in which Firstar has maintained,
the Company shall pay any expenses associated with
transferring the data to such form), and will cooperate
in the transfer of such duties and responsibilities,
including provision for assistance from Firstar's
personnel in the establishment of books, records, and
other data by such successor.
12. Governing Law
This Agreement shall be construed and the
provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance
with the laws of the State of Wisconsin. However,
nothing herein shall be construed in a manner
inconsistent with the 1940 Act or any rule or
regulation promulgated by the Securities and Exchange
Commission thereunder.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused
this Agreement to be executed by a duly authorized
officer in one or more counterparts as of the day and
year first written above.
BEARGUARD FUNDS, INC. FIRSTAR MUTUAL FUND
SERVICES, LLC
By:_________________ By:__________________
Its:________________ Its:_________________
Transfer Agent and Shareholder Servicing
Annual Fee Schedule
Exhibit A
Separate Series of Bearguard Funds, Inc.
Name of Series Date Added
Bearguard Fund ______ ____, 1999
Investor Class
Institutional Class
Annual Fee
$16.00 per shareholder account
Minimum annual fees of $35,500 for the two
classes, $10,000 for additional funds or classes
Plus Out-of-Pocket Expenses, including but not limited to:
Telephone - toll-free linesProxies
Postage Retention of records
(with prior approval)
Programming (with prior approval)
Microfilm/fiche of records
Stationery/envelopes Special reports
Mailing ACH fees
Insurance NSCC charges
ACH Shareholder Services
$125.00 per month per Fund group
$ .50 per account setup and/or change
$ .50 per ACH item
$ 3.50 per correction, reversal, return item
Qualified Plan Fees (Billed to Investors)
Annual maintenance fee
per account $12.50 /acct. (Cap at $25.00 per SSN)
Transfer to successor trustee $15.00 / trans.
Distribution to participant $15.00 / trans. (Exclusive of SWP)
Refund of excess contribution $15.00 / trans.
Additional Shareholder Fees (Billed to Investors)
Any outgoing wire transfer $12.00 / wire
Telephone Exchange $ 5.00 / exchange transaction
Return check fee $20.00 / item
Stop payment $20.00 / stop
(Liquidation, dividend, draft check)
Research fee $ 5.00 / item
(For requested items of the second calendar
year [or previous] to the request)(Cap at $25.00)
NSCC and DAZL
Out-of-Pocket Charges
NSCC Interfaces
Setup
Fund/SERV, Networking ACATS, Exchanges $5,000 setup (one time)
DCCS, RAT
Commissions $5,000 setup (one time)
Processing
Fund/SERV $ 50 / month
Networking $250 / month
CPU Access $ 40 / month
Fund/SERV Transactions $.350 / trade
Networking - per item $.025 /monthly dividend fund
Networking - per item $.015 /non-mo. dividend fund
First Data $.100 / next-day Fund/SERV
trade
First Data $.150 / same-day Fund/SERV
trade
NSCC Implementation
8 to 10 weeks lead time
Fees and out-of-pocket expenses are billed to the Fund monthly.
