SHAREHOLDER SERVICES AGREEMENT
1. The parties to this Agreement, which is effective as of January 1,
1995, are American Mutual Fund, Inc. (hereinafter called "the Fund") and
American Funds Service Company, a California corporation (hereinafter called
"AFS"). AFS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capital Research and Management
Company (hereinafter called "CRMC"). This Agreement will continue in effect
until amended or terminated in accordance with its terms.
2. The Fund hereby employs AFS, and AFS hereby accepts such employment by
the Fund, as its transfer agent. In such capacity AFS will provide the
services of stock transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, redemption agent,
and such additional related services as the Fund may from time to time require,
all of which services are sometimes referred to herein as "shareholder
services."
3. AFS has entered into substantially identical agreements with other
investment companies for which CRMC serves as investment adviser. (For the
purposes of this Agreement, such investment companies, including the Fund, are
called "participating investment companies.")
4. AFS has entered into an agreement with DST Systems, Inc. (hereinafter
called "DST"), to provide AFS with electronic data processing services
sufficient for the performance of the shareholder services referred to in
paragraph 2.
5. The Fund, together with the other participating companies, will
maintain a Review and Advisory Committee, which Committee will review and may
make recommendations to the boards of the participating investment companies
regarding all fees and charges provided for in this Agreement, as well as
review the level and quality of the shareholder services rendered to the
participating investment companies and their shareholders. Each participating
investment company may select one director or trustee who is not affiliated
with CRMC, or any of its affiliated companies, or with Washington Management
Corporation or any of its affiliated companies, to serve on the Review and
Advisory Committee.
6. AFS will provide to the participating investment companies the
shareholder services referred to herein in return for the following fees:
ANNUAL ACCOUNT MAINTENANCE FEE (PAID MONTHLY):
$.67 per month for each open account on AFS books or in Level 2 or 4
Networking ($8.04 per year)
$.09 per month for each open account maintained in Street Name or Level 1
or 3 Networking ($1.08 per year)
No annual fee will be charged for a participant account underlying a 401(k)
or other defined contribution plan where the plan maintains a single account on
AFS books and responds to all participant inquiries
TRANSACTION FEES:
$2.00 per non-automated transaction
$0.50 per automated transaction
For this purpose, "transactions" shall include all types of transactions
included in an "activity index" as reported to the Review and Advisory
Committee at least annually. AFS will xxxx the Fund monthly, on or shortly
after the first of each calendar month, and the Fund will pay to AFS within
five business days of such billing.
Any revision of the schedule of charges set forth herein shall require the
affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the board of
directors/trustees of the Fund.
7. All fund-specific charges from third parties -- including DST charges,
payments described in the next sentence, postage, NSCC transaction charges and
similar out-of-pocket expenses -- will be passed through directly to the Fund
or other participating investment companies, as applicable. AFS, subject to
approval of its board of directors, is authorized in its discretion to
negotiate payments to third parties for account maintenance and/or transaction
processing services provided such payments do not exceed the anticipated
savings to the Fund, either in fees payable to AFS hereunder or in other direct
Fund expenses, that AFS reasonably anticipates would be realized by the Fund
from using the services of such third party rather than maintaining the
accounts directly on AFS' books and/or processing non-automated transactions.
8. It is understood that AFS may have income in excess of its expenses and
may accumulate capital and surplus. AFS is not, however, permitted to
distribute any net income or accumulated surplus to its parent, CRMC, in the
form of a dividend without the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of
the boards of directors/trustees of the Fund and all participating investment
companies.
9. This Agreement may be amended at any time by mutual agreement of the
parties, with agreement of the Fund to be evidenced by affirmative vote of a
majority of the members of the board of directors/trustees of the Fund.
10. This Agreement may be terminated on 180 days' written notice by either
party. In the event of a termination of this Agreement, AFS and the Fund will
each extend full cooperation in effecting a conversion to whatever successor
shareholder service provider(s) the Fund may select, it being understood that
all records relating to the Fund and its shareholders are property of the Fund.
11. In the event of a termination of this Agreement by the Fund, the Fund
will pay to AFS as a termination fee the Fund's proportionate share of any
costs of conversion of the Fund's shareholder service from AFS to a successor.
In the event of termination of this Agreement and all corresponding agreements
with all the participating investment companies, all assets of AFS will be sold
or otherwise converted to cash, with a view to the liquidation of AFS when it
ceases to provide shareholder services for the participating investment
companies. To the extent any such assets are sold by AFS to CRMC and/or any of
its affiliates, such sales shall be at fair market value at the time of sale as
agreed upon by AFS, the purchasing company or companies, and the Review and
Advisory Committee. After all assets of AFS have been converted to cash and
all liabilities of AFS have been paid or discharged, an amount equal to any
capital or paid-in surplus of AFS that shall have been contributed by CRMC or
its affiliates shall be set aside in cash for distribution to CRMC upon
liquidation of AFS. Any other capital or surplus and any assets of AFS
remaining after the foregoing provisions for liabilities and return of capital
or paid-in surplus to CRMC shall be distributed to the participating investment
companies in such proportions as may be determined by the Review and Advisory
Committee.
12. In the event of disagreement between the Fund and AFS, or between the
Fund and other participating investment companies as to any matter arising
under this Agreement, which the parties to the disagreement are unable to
resolve, the question shall be referred to the Review and Advisory Committee
for resolution. If the Review and Advisory Committee is unable to resolve the
question to the satisfaction of both parties, either party may elect to submit
the question to arbitration; one arbitrator to be named by each party to the
disagreement and a third arbitrator to be selected by the two arbitrators named
by the original parties. The decision of a majority of the arbitrators shall
be final and binding on all parties to the arbitration. The expenses of such
arbitration shall be paid by the party electing to submit the question to
arbitration.
13. The obligations of the Fund under this Agreement are not binding upon
any of the directors, trustees, officers, employees, agents or shareholders of
the Fund individually, but bind only the Fund itself. AFS agrees to look
solely to the assets of the Fund for the satisfaction of any liability of the
Fund in respect to this Agreement and will not seek recourse against such
directors, trustees, officers, employees, agents or shareholders, or any of
them or their personal assets for such satisfaction.
AMERICAN FUNDS SERVICE COMPANY AMERICAN MUTUAL FUND, INC.
By /s/ Xxx X. Xxxxxx By /s/ Xxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Xxx X. Xxxxxx, Chairman Xxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Jr., Chairman
By /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx By /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx, Secretary Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Secretary
