Exhibit (5)(a)
CORE TRUST (DELAWARE)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
October 1, 1997
AGREEMENT made this 1st day of October, 1997, between Core Trust
(Delaware) (the "Trust"), a business trust organized under the laws of the State
of Delaware with its principal place of business at Two Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000, and Norwest Investment Management, Inc. (the "Adviser"),
a corporation organized under the laws of State of Delaware with its principal
place of business at 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000.
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended, (the "Act") as an open-end management investment company and
is authorized to issue interests (as defined in the Trust's Trust Instrument) in
separate series; and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires that the Adviser perform investment advisory
services for each Portfolio listed in Appendix A (each a "Portfolio," and
collectively the "Portfolios"), and the Adviser is willing to provide those
services on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; and
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein
contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
SECTION 1. THE TRUST; DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS
The Trust is engaged in the business of investing and reinvesting its
assets in securities of the type and in accordance with the limitations
specified in its Trust Instrument and Registration Statement filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Act, as may be
supplemented from time to time, all in such manner and to such extent as may
from time to time be authorized by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board").
The Trust is currently authorized to issue twenty-two series of interests and
the Board is authorized to issue interests in any number of additional series.
The Trust has delivered to the Adviser copies of the Trust's Trust Instrument
and Registration Statement and will from time to time furnish Adviser with any
amendments thereof.
SECTION 2. INVESTMENT ADVISER; APPOINTMENT
The Trust hereby employs Adviser, subject to the direction and control
of the Board, to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets in each
Portfolio and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to provide
other services specified in Section 3 hereof.
SECTION 3. DUTIES OF THE ADVISER
(a) The Adviser shall make decisions with respect to all purchases and
sales of securities and other investment assets in each Portfolio. To carry out
such decisions, the Adviser is hereby authorized, as agent and attorney-in-fact
for the Trust, for the account of, at the risk of and in the name of the Trust,
to place orders and issue instructions with respect to those transactions of the
Portfolios. In all purchases, sales and other transactions in securities for the
Portfolios, the Adviser is authorized to exercise full discretion and act for
the Trust in the same manner and with the same force and effect as the Trust
might or could do with respect to such purchases, sales or other transactions,
as well as with respect to all other things necessary or incidental to the
furtherance or conduct of such purchases, sales or other transactions.
(b) The Adviser will report to the Board at each meeting thereof all
changes in each Portfolio since the prior report, and will also keep the Board
informed of important developments affecting the Trust, the Portfolios and the
Adviser, and on its own initiative, will furnish the Board from time to time
with such information as the Adviser may believe appropriate for this purpose,
whether concerning the individual companies whose securities are included in the
Portfolios' holdings, the industries in which they engage, or the economic,
social or political conditions prevailing in each country in which the
Portfolios' maintain investments. The Adviser will also furnish the Board with
such statistical and analytical information with respect to securities in the
Portfolios as the Adviser may believe appropriate or as the Board reasonably may
request. In making purchases and sales of securities for the Portfolios, the
Adviser will bear in mind the policies set from time to time by the Board as
well as the limitations imposed by the Trust's Trust Instrument and Registration
Statement under the Act, the limitations in the Act and in the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended, in respect of regulated investment companies and the
investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Portfolios.
(c) The Adviser will from time to time employ or associate with such
persons as the Adviser believes to be particularly fitted to assist in the
execution of the Adviser's duties hereunder, the cost of performance of such
duties to be borne and paid by the Adviser. No obligation may be incurred on the
Trust's behalf in any such respect.
(d) The Adviser shall maintain records relating to portfolio
transactions and the placing and allocation of brokerage orders as are required
to be maintained by the Trust under the Act. The Adviser shall prepare and
maintain, or cause to be prepared and maintained, in such form, for such periods
and in such locations as may be required by applicable law, all documents and
records relating to the services provided by the Adviser pursuant to this
Agreement required to be prepared and maintained by the Trust pursuant to the
rules and regulations of any national, state, or local government entity with
jurisdiction over the Trust, including the Commission and the Internal Revenue
Service. The books and records pertaining to the Trust which are in possession
of the Adviser shall be the property of the Trust. The Trust, or the Trust's
authorized representatives, shall have access to such books and records at all
times during the Adviser's normal business hours. Upon the reasonable request of
the Trust, copies of any such books and records shall be provided promptly by
the Adviser to the Trust or the Trust's authorized representatives.
SECTION 4. EXPENSES
The Trust hereby confirms that the Trust shall be responsible and shall
assume the obligation for payment of all the Trust's expenses, including:
interest charges, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions; certain insurance
premiums; fees, interest charges and expenses of the Trust's custodian and
transfer agent; telecommunications expenses; auditing, legal and compliance
expenses; costs of the Trust's formation and maintaining its existence; costs of
preparing the Trust's registration statement, account application forms and
interestholder reports and delivering them to existing and prospective
interestholders; costs of maintaining books of original entry for portfolio and
fund accounting and other required books and accounts and of calculating the net
asset value of interests in the Trust; costs of reproduction, stationery and
supplies; compensation of the Trust's trustees, officers and employees and the
costs of other personnel performing services for the Trust who are not officers
of the Adviser or of Forum Financial Services, Inc. or affiliated persons of
either; costs of Trust meetings; registration fees and related expenses for
registration with the Commission and the securities regulatory authorities of
other countries in which the Trust's interests are sold; state securities law
registration fees and related expenses; and fees and out-of-pocket expenses
payable to Forum Financial Services, Inc. under any placement agent, management
or similar agreement.
SECTION 5. STANDARD OF CARE
The Trust shall expect of the Adviser, and the Adviser will give the
Trust the benefit of, the Adviser's best judgment and efforts in rendering its
services to the Trust, and as an inducement to the Adviser's undertaking these
services the Adviser shall not be liable hereunder for any mistake of judgment
or in any event whatsoever, except for lack of good faith, provided that nothing
herein shall be deemed to protect, or purport to protect, the Adviser against
any liability to the Trust or to the Trust's interestholders to which the
Adviser would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith
or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser's duties hereunder, or by
reason of the Adviser's reckless disregard of its obligations and duties
hereunder. As used in this Section 5, the term "Adviser" shall include any
affiliates of the Adviser performing services for the Portfolios contemplated
hereby and directors, officers and employees of the Adviser as well as the
Adviser itself.
SECTION 6. COMPENSATION
In consideration of the foregoing, the Trust shall pay the Adviser,
with respect to each of the Portfolios, a fee at an annual rate as listed in
Appendix A hereto. Such fees shall be accrued by the Trust daily and shall be
payable monthly in arrears on the first day of each calendar month for services
performed hereunder during the prior calendar month.
SECTION 7. EFFECTIVENESS, DURATION AND TERMINATION
(a) This Agreement shall become effective with respect to a Portfolio
immediately upon approval by a majority of the outstanding voting interests of
that Portfolio.
(b) This Agreement shall remain in effect with respect to a Portfolio
for a period of two years from the date of its effectiveness and shall continue
in effect for successive twelve-month periods (computed from each anniversary
date of the approval) with respect to the Portfolio; provided that such
continuance is specifically approved at least annually (i) by the Board or by
the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting interests of the Portfolio,
and, in either case, (ii) by a majority of the Trust's trustees who are not
parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party (other than as
trustees of the Trust); provided further, however, that if this Agreement or the
continuation of this Agreement is not approved as to a Portfolio, the Adviser
may continue to render to that Portfolio the services described herein in the
manner and to the extent permitted by the Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder.
(c) This Agreement may be terminated with respect to a Portfolio at any
time, without the payment of any penalty, (i) by the Board or by a vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio on 60 days'
written notice to the Adviser or (ii) by the Adviser on 60 days' written notice
to the Trust. This agreement shall terminate upon assignment.
SECTION 8. ACTIVITIES OF THE ADVISER
Except to the extent necessary to perform its obligations hereunder,
nothing herein shall be deemed to limit or restrict the Adviser's right, or the
right of any of the Adviser's officers, directors or employees who may also be a
trustee, officer or employee of the Trust, or persons otherwise affiliated
persons of the Trust to engage in any other business or to devote time and
attention to the management or other aspects of any other business, whether of a
similar or dissimilar nature, or to render services of any kind to any other
corporation, trust, firm, individual or association.
SECTION 9. LIMITATION OF INTERESTHOLDER AND TRUSTEE LIABILITY
The Trustees of the Trust and the interestholders of each Portfolio
shall not be liable for any obligations of the Trust or of the Portfolios under
this Agreement, and the Adviser agrees that, in asserting any rights or claims
under this Agreement, it shall look only to the assets and property of the Trust
or the Portfolio to which the Adviser's rights or claims relate in settlement of
such rights or claims, and not to the Trustees of the Trust or the
interestholders of the Portfolios.
SECTION 10. MISCELLANEOUS
(a) No provisions of this Agreement may be amended or modified in any
manner except by a written agreement properly authorized and executed by both
parties hereto and, if required by the Act, by a vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting interests of the Portfolios thereby affected. No amendment to
this Agreement or the termination of this Agreement with respect to a Portfolio
shall effect this Agreement as it pertains to any other Portfolio.
(b) If any part, term or provision of this Agreement is held to be
illegal, in conflict with any law or otherwise invalid, the remaining portion or
portions shall be considered severable and not be affected, and the rights and
obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if the Agreement
did not contain the particular part, term or provision held to be illegal or
invalid.
(c) This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto on any number
of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to
constitute one and the same instrument.
(d) Section headings in this Agreement are included for convenience
only and are not to be used to construe or interpret this Agreement.
(e) This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.
(f) The terms "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting interests,"
"interested person," "affiliated person" and "assignment" shall have the
meanings ascribed thereto in the Act to the terms "vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities," "interested person," "affiliated person" and
"assignment," respectively.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed all as of the day and year first above written.
CORE TRUST (DELAWARE)
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By: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
President
NORWEST INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
------------------------
By: P. Xxx Xxxxxxxxxx
President
CORE TRUST (DELAWARE)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
Appendix A
Annual Fee as a % of
the Average Daily
Portfolios of the Trust Net Assets of the Portfolio
Money Market Portfolio 0.20% of the first $300 million of assets
0.16% for next $400 million
0.12% of remaining net assets
Prime Money Market Portfolio 0.40% of the first $300 million of assets
0.36% for next $400 million
0.32% of remaining net assets
Index Portfolio 0.15%
Small Company Stock Portfolio 0.90%
Small Company Growth Portfolio 0.90%
Small Company Value Portfolio 0.90%
Large Company Growth Portfolio 0.65%
Income Equity Portfolio 0.50%
Managed Fixed Income Portfolio 0.35%
Total Return Bond Portfolio 0.35%
Positive Return Bond Portfolio 0.35%
Stable Income Portfolio 0.30%
International Portfolio 0.45%
Disciplined Growth Portfolio 0.90%
Small Cap Value Portfolio 0.95%
Strategic Value Bond Portfolio 0.50%
Small Cap Index Portfolio 0.25%
