Exhibit 9.1
Transfer Agency and Service Agreement
TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
between
PHOENIX FUNDS
and
PHOENIX EQUITY PLANNING CORPORATION
Table of Contents
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Page
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Article 1 - Terms of Appointment; Duties of Transfer Agent.................1
Article 2 - Fees and Expenses..............................................3
Article 3 - Representations and Warranties of Transfer Agent...............3
Article 4 - Representations and Warranties of the Phoenix Funds............3
Article 5 - Data Access and Proprietary Information........................4
Article 6 - Indemnification................................................5
Article 7 - Standard of Care...............................................6
Article 8 - Covenants......................................................6
Article 9 - Termination....................................................7
Article 10 - Assignment.....................................................7
Article 11 - Amendment......................................................7
Article 12 - Connecticut Law to Apply.......................................7
Article 13 - Force Majeure..................................................7
Article 14 - Consequential Damages..........................................8
Article 15 - Merger of Agreement............................................8
Article 16 - Limitations of Liability of the Trustees
and Shareholders...............................................8
Article 17 - Counterparts...................................................8
TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
-------------------------------------
AGREEMENT made as of the 1st day of June, 1994, by and between the
undersigned entities (hereinafter singularly referred to as a "Fund" and
collectively referred to as the "Phoenix Funds"), and PHOENIX EQUITY PLANNING
CORPORATION (hereinafter referred to as the "Transfer Agent").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Phoenix Funds desire to appoint Transfer Agent as their
transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and agent in connection with certain
other activities, and Transfer Agent desires to accept such appointment; and
WHEREAS, the parties wish to set forth herein their mutual understandings
and agreements.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained,
and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency whereof
being hereby acknowledged and affirmed, the parties hereto agree as follows:
Article 1 Terms of Appointment; Duties of Transfer Agent
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1.01 Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the
Phoenix Funds hereby employ and appoint Transfer Agent to act as, and Transfer
Agent agrees to act as, transfer agent for the authorized and issued shares of
beneficial interest or common stock, as the case may be, of each of the Phoenix
Funds (hereinafter collectively and singularly referred to as "Shares"),
dividend disbursing agent and agent in connection with any accumulation,
open-account or similar plans provided to the shareholders of the Phoenix Funds
("Shareholders") and as set out in the currently effective registration
statement of each Fund (the prospectus and statement of additional information
portions of such registration statement being referred to as the "Prospectus"),
including, without limitation, any periodic investment plan or periodic
withdrawal program.
1.02 Transfer Agent agrees that it will perform the following services
pursuant to this Agreement:
(a) In accordance with procedures established from time to time by
agreement between the Phoenix Funds and Transfer Agent, Transfer Agent shall:
i) Receive for acceptance, orders for the purchase of Shares, and
promptly deliver payment and appropriate documentation therefor
to the Custodian appointed from time to time by the
Trustees/Directors of each Fund (which entity or entities, as the
case may be, shall be referred to as the "Custodian");
ii) Pursuant to purchase orders, issue the appropriate number of
Shares and hold such Shares in the each appropriate Shareholder
account;
iii) Receive for acceptance, redemption requests and redemption
directions and deliver the appropriate documentation therefor to
the Custodian;
iv) In respect to the transactions in items (i), (ii) and (iii)
above, the Transfer Agent shall execute transactions directly
with broker-dealers authorized by the Phoenix Funds who shall
thereby be deemed to be acting on behalf of the Phoenix Funds;
v) At the appropriate time as and when it receives monies paid to it
by any 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;
vi) Effect transfers of Shares by the registered owners thereof upon
receipt of appropriate instructions;
vii) Prepare and transmit payments for dividends and distributions
declared by each Fund, if any;
viii) 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
the Phoenix Funds, and the Transfer Agent at its option, may
issue replacement certificates in place of mutilated stock
certificates upon presentation thereof and without such
indemnity;
ix) Maintain records of account for and advise each Fund and its
respective Shareholders as to the foregoing; and
x) Record the issuance of Shares and maintain pursuant to Rule
17Ad-10(e) under the Exchange Act of 1934, a record of the total
number of Shares which are authorized, issued and outstanding
based upon data provided to it by each Fund. The Transfer Agent
shall also provide on a regular basis to each Fund the total
number of Shares which are authorized, issued and outstanding
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 each respective
Fund.
(b) In addition to and not in lieu of the services set forth in the above
paragraph (a), Transfer Agent shall: (i) perform all of the customary services
of a transfer agent, 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, maintaining all Shareholder accounts, preparing
Shareholder meeting lists, mailing proxies, receiving and tabulating proxies,
mailing Shareholder reports and Prospectuses to current Shareholders,
withholding taxes on U.S. resident and non-resident alien accounts, preparing
and filing U.S. Treasury Department Forms 1099 and other appropriate forms
required with respect to dividends and distributions by federal authorities for
all Shareholders, preparing and mailing confirmation forms and statements of
account to Shareholders for all purchases and redemptions of Shares and other
confirmable transactions in Shareholder accounts, preparing and mailing activity
statements for Shareholders, and providing Shareholder account information; and
(ii) provide a system which will enable each Fund to monitor the total number of
Shares sold in each State.
(c) In addition, the Phoenix Funds shall (i) identify to Transfer Agent in
writing those transactions and assets to be treated as exempt from blue sky
reporting for each State, and (ii) verify the establishment of transactions for
each State on the system prior to activation and thereafter monitor the daily
activity for each State. The responsibility of Transfer Agent for a Fund's blue
sky State registration status is solely limited to the initial establishment of
transactions subject to blue sky compliance by the Phoenix Funds and the
reporting of such transactions to each Fund as provided above.
(d) Procedures as to who shall provide certain of the services in Article 1
may be established from time to time by agreement between the Phoenix Funds and
Transfer Agent per the attached service responsibility schedule, if any. The
Transfer Agent may at times perform only a portion of these services and the
Phoenix Funds or its agent may perform these services on behalf of any Fund.
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(e) The Transfer Agent shall provide additional services on behalf of the
Phoenix Funds (i.e., escheatment services) which may be agreed upon in writing
between the Phoenix Funds and the Transfer Agent.
Article 2 Fees and Expenses
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2.01 In consideration of the services provided by the Transfer Agent
pursuant to this Agreement, each Fund agrees to pay Transfer Agent an annual
maintenance fee for each Shareholder account as set forth in Schedule A attached
hereto and made a part hereof. Annual Maintenance Fees and out-of-pocket
expenses and advances identified under Section 2.02 below may be changed from
time to time subject to mutual written agreement between each Fund and Transfer
Agent. Nothing herein shall preclude the assignment of all or any portion of the
foregoing fees and expense reimbursements to any sub-agent contracted by
Transfer Agent.
2.02 In addition to the fee paid under Section 2.01 above, the Phoenix
Funds agree to reimburse Transfer Agent for out-of-pocket expenses or advances
incurred by Transfer Agent for the items set out in Schedule A attached hereto.
In addition, any other expenses incurred by Transfer Agent at the request or
with the consent of any Fund, will be reimbursed by the Fund requesting the
same.
2.03 The Phoenix Funds agree to pay all fees and reimbursable expenses
within five days following the mailing of the respective billing notice. The
above fees will be charged against each Fund's custodian checking account five
(5) days after the invoice is transmitted to the Phoenix Funds. Postage for
mailing of dividends, proxies, Fund reports and other mailings to all
Shareholder accounts shall be advanced to Transfer Agent at least seven (7) days
prior to the mailing date of such materials.
Article 3 Representations and Warranties of Transfer Agent
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The Transfer Agent represents and warrants to the Phoenix Funds that:
3.01 It is a corporation organized and existing and in good standing under
the laws of the State of Connecticut.
3.02 It is empowered under applicable laws and by its charter and by-laws
to enter into and perform this Agreement.
3.03 All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to
enter into and perform this Agreement.
3.04 It has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities,
equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this
Agreement.
3.05 It is and shall continue to be a duly registered transfer agent
pursuant to Section 17A(c)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Article 4 Representations and Warranties of Phoenix Funds
-----------------------------------------------
The Phoenix Funds represent and warrant to Transfer Agent that:
4.01 All corporate or trust proceedings, as the case may be, required to
enter into and perform this Agreement have been undertaken and are in full force
and effect.
4.02 Each Fund is an open-end, diversified management investment companies
registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
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4.03 A registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 is currently
effective for each Fund that is offering its securities for sale and such
registration statement will remain effective, and appropriate state securities
law filings have been made and will continue to be made, with respect to all
Shares being offered for sale.
Article 5 Data Access and Proprietary Information
---------------------------------------
5.02 The Phoenix Funds acknowledge that the data bases, computer programs,
screen formats, report formats, interactive design techniques, and documentation
manuals furnished to the Phoenix Funds by the Transfer Agent as part of each
Fund's ability to access certain Fund-related data ("Customer Data") maintained
by the Transfer Agent on data bases under the control and ownership of the
Transfer Agent or other third party ("Data Access Services") constitute
copyrighted, trade secret, or other proprietary information (collectively,
"Proprietary Information") of substantial value to the Transfer Agent or other
third party. In no event shall Proprietary Information be deemed Customer Data.
The Phoenix Funds agree to treat all Proprietary Information as proprietary to
the Transfer Agent and further agree that it shall not divulge any Proprietary
Information to any person or organization except as may be provided hereunder.
Without limiting the foregoing, the Phoenix Funds agree for itself and its
employees and agents:
(a) to access Customer Data solely from location as may be designated in
writing by the Transfer Agent and solely in accordance with the
Transfer Agent's applicable user documentation;
(b) to refrain from copying or duplicating in any way the Proprietary
Information;
(c) to refrain from obtaining unauthorized access to any portion of the
Proprietary Information, and if such access is inadvertently obtained,
to inform in a timely manner of such fact and dispose of such
information in accordance with the Transfer Agent's instructions;
(d) to refrain from causing or allowing third-party data acquired
hereunder from being retransmitted to any other computer facility or
other location, except with the prior written consent of the Transfer
Agent;
(e) that the Phoenix Funds shall have access only to those authorized
transactions agreed upon by the parties; and
(f) to honor all reasonable written requests made by the Transfer Agent to
protect at the Transfer Agent's expense the rights of the Transfer
Agent in Propriety Information at common law, under federal copyright
law and under other federal or state law.
Each party shall take reasonable efforts to advise its employees of their
obligations pursuant to this Article 5. The obligations of this Article shall
survive any earlier termination of this Agreement.
5.02 If the Phoenix Funds notified the Transfer Agent that any of the Data
Access Services do not operate in material compliance with the most recently
issued user documentation for such services, the Transfer Agent shall endeavor
in a timely manner to correct such failure. Organizations from which the
Transfer Agent may obtain certain data included in the Data Access Services are
solely responsible for the contents of such data and the Phoenix Funds agree to
make no claim against the Transfer Agent arising out of the contents of such
third-party data, including, but not limited to, the accuracy thereof. DATA
ACCESS SERVICES AND ALL COMPUTER PROGRAMS AND SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS USED IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH ARE PROVIDED ON AN AS IS, AS AVAILABLE BASIS. THE TRANSFER
AGENT EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES EXCEPT THOSE EXPRESSLY STATED HEREIN
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
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5.03 If the transactions available to the Phoenix Funds include the ability
to originate electronic instructions to the Transfer Agent in order to (i)
effect the transfer or movement of cash or Shares or (ii) transmit Shareholder
information or other information (such transactions constituting a "COEFI"),
then in such event the Transfer Agent shall be entitled to rely on the validity
and authenticity of such instruction without undertaking any further inquiry as
long as such instruction is undertaken in conformity with security procedures
established by the Transfer Agent from time to time.
Article 6 Indemnification
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6.01 The Transfer Agent shall not be responsible for, and the Phoenix Funds
shall indemnify and hold Transfer Agent harmless from and against, any and all
losses, damages, costs, charges, counsel fees, payments, expenses and liability
arising out of or attributable to:
(a) All actions of Transfer Agent or its agent or subcontractors required
to be taken pursuant to this Agreement, provided that such actions are
taken in good faith and without negligence or willful misconduct.
(b) The lack of good faith, negligence or willful misconduct by the
Phoenix Funds which arise out of the breach of any representation or
warranty of the Phoenix Funds hereunder.
(c) The reliance on or use by the Transfer Agent or its agents or
subcontractors of information, records and documents which (i) are
received by Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors, and (ii)
have been prepared, maintained or performed by the Phoenix Funds or
any other person or firm on behalf of the Phoenix Funds including but
not limited to any previous transfer agent or registrar.
(d) The reliance on, or the carrying out by Transfer Agent or its agents
or subcontractors of any instructions or requests of the Phoenix
Funds.
(e) The offer or sale of Shares in violation of any requirement under the
federal securities laws or regulations or the securities laws or
regulations of any state that such Shares be registered in such state
or in violation of any stop order or other determination or ruling by
any federal agency or any state with respect to the offer or sale of
such Shares in such state.
6.02 Transfer Agent shall indemnify and hold each of the Phoenix Funds
harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, counsel
fees, payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to any
action or failure or omission to act by Transfer Agent, or any sub-agent, as a
result of Transfer Agent's, or such sub-agent's, lack of good faith, negligence
or willful misconduct.
6 .03 At any time the Transfer Agent may apply to any officer of the
Phoenix Funds for instructions, and may consult with legal counsel with respect
to any matter arising in connection with the services to be performed by
Transfer Agent under this Agreement, and Transfer Agent and its agents or
subcontractors shall not be liable and shall be indemnified by the Phoenix Funds
for any action taken or omitted by it in reliance upon such instructions or upon
the opinion of such counsel. The Transfer Agent, its agents and subcontractors
shall be protected and indemnified in acting upon any paper or document
furnished by or on behalf of the Phoenix Funds, reasonably believed to be
genuine and to have been signed by the proper person or persons, or upon any
instruction, information, data, records or documents provided Transfer Agent or
its agents or subcontrators by machine readable input, telex, CRT data entry or
other similar means authorized by the Phoenix Funds, and shall not be held to
have notice of any change of authority of any person, until receipt of written
notice thereof from the Phoenix Funds. Transfer Agent, its agents and
subcontractors shall also be protected and indemnified in recognizing stock
certificates which are reasonably
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believed to bear the proper manual or facsimile signatures of the officers of
any Fund, and the proper countersignature of any former transfer agent or
registrar, or of a co-transfer agent or co-registrar.
6.04 In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this Article
6 shall apply, upon the assertion of a claim for which either party may be
required to indemnify the other, the party seeking indemnification shall
promptly notify the other party of such assertion, and shall keep the other
party advised with respect to all developments concerning such claim. The party
who may be required to indemnify shall have the option to participate with the
party seeking indemnification in the defense of such claim. The party seeking
indemnification shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any
case in which the other party may be required to indemnify it except with the
other party's prior written consent.
6.05 Transfer Agent hereby expressly acknowledges that recourse against any
of the Phoenix Funds, if any, shall be subject to those limitations provided by
governing law and the Declaration of Trust of the Phoenix Funds, as applicable,
and agrees that obligations assumed by the Phoenix Funds hereunder shall be
limited in all cases to the Phoenix Funds and their respective assets. Transfer
Agent shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the shareholders
or any shareholder of the Phoenix Funds, nor shall the Transfer Agent seek
satisfaction of any obligations from the Trustees/Directors or any individual
Trustee/Director of the Phoenix Funds.
Article 7 Standard of Care
----------------
7 .01 The Transfer Agent shall at all times act in good faith and agrees to
use its best efforts within reasonable limits to insure the accuracy of all
services performed under this Agreement, but assumes no responsibility and shall
not be liable for loss or damage due to errors unless said errors are caused by
its negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct of that of its employees.
Article 8 Covenants
---------
8.01 The Phoenix Funds shall promptly furnish to Transfer Agent the
following:
(a) A certified copy of the resolution of its Trustees/Directors
authorizing the appointment of Transfer Agent and the execution and
delivery of this Agreement.
(b) A copy of the Declaration of Trust or Articles of Incorporation, as
the case may be, and ByLaws, if any, and all amendments thereto of
each Fund.
8.02 The Transfer Agent hereby agrees to establish and maintain facilities
and procedures reasonably acceptable to the Phoenix Funds for safekeeping of
stock certificates, check forms and facsimile signature imprinting devices, if
any; and for the preparation or use, and for keeping account of, such
certificates, forms and devices.
8.03 The Transfer Agent shall keep records relating to the services to be
performed hereunder, in the form and manner as it may deem advisable. To the
extent required by Section 31 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
and the Rules thereunder, Transfer Agent agrees that all such records prepared
or maintained by Transfer Agent relating to the services to be performed by
Transfer Agent hereunder are the property of each respective Fund and will be
preserved, maintained and made available in accordance with such Section and
Rules, and will be surrendered promptly to each respective Fund on and in
accordance with its request.
8.04 The parties agree that all books, records, information and data
pertaining to the business of the other party which are exchanged or received
pursuant to the negotiation or the carrying out of this
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Agreement shall remain confidential, and shall not be voluntarily disclosed to
any other person, except as may be required by law.
8.05 In case of any requests or demands for the inspection of the
Shareholder records, Transfer Agent will endeavor to notify the affected Fund
and to secure instructions from an authorized officer of such Fund as to such
inspection. Transfer Agent reserves the right, however, to exhibit the
Shareholder records to any person whenever it is advised by its counsel that it
may be held liable for the failure to exhibit the Shareholder records to such
person.
Article 9 Termination
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9.01 This Agreement may be terminated by either party upon one hundred
twenty (120) days written notice to the other. The parties mutually acknowledge
that the termination of this Agreement by one, but not each Fund shall not
effect a termination of this Agreement as to any and all other Phoenix Fund(s)
which have not terminated the Agreement.
9.02 Should any Fund exercise its right to terminate, all out-of-pocket
expenses associated with the movement of records and material will be borne by
the terminating Fund. Additionally, Transfer Agent reserves the right to charge
any other reasonable expenses associated with such termination and/or a charge
equivalent to the average of three (3) months' fees to the terminating Fund.
Article 10 Assignment
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10.01 Except as provided in Section 10.03 below, neither this Agreement nor
any rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned by either party without the
written consent of the other party.
10.02 This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the
parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
10.03 The Transfer Agent may, without further consent on the part of any of
the Phoenix Funds, subcontract for the performance hereof with one or more
sub-agents; provided, however, that Transfer Agent shall be as fully responsible
to each Fund for the acts and omissions of any subcontractor as it is for its
own acts and omissions.
Article 11 Amendment
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11.01 This Agreement may be amended or modified by a written agreement
executed by the parties and authorized or approved by a resolution of the
Trustees/Directors of each respective Fund.
Article 12 Connecticut Law to Apply
------------------------
12.01 This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Connecticut.
Article 13 Force Majeure
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13.01 In the event either party is unable to perform its obligations under
the terms of this Agreement because of the acts of God, strikes, equipment or
transmission failure or damage reasonably beyond its control, or other causes
reasonably beyond its control, such party shall not be liable for damages to the
other for any damages resulting from such failure to perform or otherwise from
such causes.
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Article 14 Consequential Damages
---------------------
14.01 Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other party
for consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement or for any act
or failure to act hereunder.
Article 15 Merger of Agreement
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15.01 This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties
hereto and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter
hereof whether oral or written.
15.02 This Agreement shall not be merged with or construed in conjunction
with any other current or future agreement between the Phoenix Funds (including
any Fund) and Phoenix Equity Planning Corporation, each and all of which
agreements shall at all times remain separate and distinct.
Article 16 Limitations of Liability of the Trustees and Shareholders
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16.01 For the Funds which that are formed as Massachusetts business trusts,
notice is hereby given that the Agreement and Declaration of such Trusts are on
file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was executed on
behalf of the Trustees of such Trusts as Trustees and not individually and that
the obligations of this instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees or
Shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of
each Fund.
Article 17 Counterparts
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17.01 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.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
executed in their names and on their behalf under their seals by and through
their duly authorized officers, as of the day and year first above written.
Phoenix Asset Reserve
Phoenix California Tax Exempt Bonds, Inc.
Phoenix Equity Opportunities Fund
Phoenix Income and Growth Fund
Phoenix Multi-Portfolio Fund
Phoenix Multi-Sector Fixed Income Fund, Inc.
Phoenix Series Fund
Phoenix Total Return Fund, Inc.
Phoenix Worldwide Opportunities Fund
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxxx
---------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxxx
Title: President
ATTEST:
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
--------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
Title: Assistant Secretary
PHOENIX EQUITY PLANNING CORPORATION
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
---------------------------------
Executive Vice President
ATTEST:
By: /s/ Xxxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxxx
--------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxxx
Title: Assistant Secretary
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Schedule A
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Fee Schedule
Annual Maintenance Fees shall be based on the following formula:
AMF(Fund) = BAMF x SA
where, AMFFund refers to the aggregate Annual Maintenance Fee levied
against each respective Fund,
BAMF refers to the Base Annual Maintenance Fee levied against each
respective Fund for each shareholder account, as more particularly
described below, at the basic annual per account rate of $19.25 for
daily dividend accounts and $14.95 for non-daily dividend accounts,
and
SA refers to the number of Shareholder Accounts subject to the terms
of this Agreement and any and all sub-transfer agent agreements which
presently or hereafter may be entered into by the Transfer Agent. For
the purpose of computing the foregoing, the Transfer Agent will
ascertain the number of Shareholders of each Fund regardless of
whether any such Shares are held in accordance with any pooled or
omnibus accounts or arrangement managed or controlled by any entity,
broker/dealer or sub-transfer agent.
Other Fees
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o Omnibus Accounts, Per Transaction $2.50
o Closed Accounts, per Account, per month $0.20
o Check writing Fees:
Privilege set-up $5.00
Per Cleared Check $1.00
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
----------------------
Out-of-pocket expenses include, but are not limited to: confirmation production,
postage, forms, telephone, microfilm, microfiche, stationary and supplies billed
as .1122% of postage costs and expenses incurred at the specific direction of
any Fund. Postage for mass mailings is due seven days in advance of the mailing
date.