Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 tel (650) 312-3000 franklintempleton.com
Exhibit (h)(21)
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Franklin/Xxxxxxxxx Distributors, Inc.
Xxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxx Xxxxx, XX 00000-0000 tel (000) 000-0000 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx |
January 17, 2013
To Our Valued Insurance Company Clients:
Enclosed is an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Participation Agreement(s) (“Agreement”) between us and you with respect to our insurance trust – Franklin Xxxxxxxxx Variable Insurance Products Trust (the “Trust”).
The main purpose of the Amendment is to revise section 4.4 of the Agreement, which concerns our reimbursement of you for certain expenses you incur in connection with printing fund documents for investors. The goal of this revision is to provide for an improved reimbursement process that is more efficient for us and you. The Amendment also makes minor changes in Section 6 of the Agreement to clarify the terminology used; the principal change is moving the definition of “Disclosure Documents” up one paragraph.
We hope that you find our new approach to be efficient and convenient. The Amendment has been signed on behalf of the necessary Franklin Xxxxxxxxx entities. Please have the Amendment signed on your behalf and return one fully-signed copy to the address provided below.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Xxxxx Xxxxx via telephone or email, both of which are listed below:
Xxxxx Xxxxx
Email: xxxxxxx@xxx.xxx
Tel: (000) 000-0000
The signed amendment should be mailed to:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Thank you very much. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to provide our funds as investment options in your variable insurance contracts.
| Sincerely yours, |
| /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx |
| Xxxxx Xxxxxxx |
| Head of the Investment Platform Division |
Enclosure: Amendment to Participation Agreements
Amendment to Participation Agreement
Franklin Xxxxxxxxx Variable Insurance Products Trust
Franklin/Xxxxxxxxx Distributors, Inc.
TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company
TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC
Franklin Xxxxxxxxx Variable Insurance Products Trust (the “Trust”), Franklin/Xxxxxxxxx Distributors, Inc. (the “Underwriter,” and together with the Trust, “we,” “our,” or “us”), TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company, and TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, your distributor (collectively, the “Company” “you” or “your”), on your behalf and on behalf of certain Accounts, (individually a “Party”, collectively, the “Parties”) have previously entered into a Participation Agreement dated February 1, 2006, as amended (the “Agreement”). The parties now desire to amend the Agreement by this amendment (the “Amendment”). Unless otherwise indicated, the terms defined in the Agreement shall have the same meaning in this Amendment.
AMENDMENT
For good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree to amend the Agreement as follows:
| 1. | Section 4.4 and Section 6 of the Agreement are amended and restated in their entirety as set forth in Attachment A to this Amendment. |
| 2. | All other terms and provisions of the Agreement not amended herein shall remain in full force and effect. |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the Parties has caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Amendment as of January 15, 2013.
| The Trust: Only on behalf of each Portfolio listed on Schedule C of the Agreement. |
FRANKLIN XXXXXXXXX VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS TRUST
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| By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |||||
| Name: | Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |||||
| Title: | Vice President | |||||
| The Underwriter: | FRANKLIN/XXXXXXXXX DISTRIBUTORS, INC. | |||||
| By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||||
| Name: | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||||
| Title: | Vice President | |||||
| The Company: | TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | |||||
| By: |
| |||||
| Name: | ||||||
| Title: | ||||||
| The Distributor: | TIAA-CREF INDIVIDUAL & INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES, LLC | |||||
| By: |
| |||||
| Name: | ||||||
| Title: | ||||||
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| The Underwriter: | FRANKLIN/XXXXXXXXX DISTRIBUTORS, INC. | |||||
| By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||||
| Name: | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||||
| Title: | Vice President | |||||
| The Company: | TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | |||||
| By: |
| |||||
| Name: | ||||||
| Title: | ||||||
| The Distributor: | TIAA-CREF INDIVIDUAL & INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES, LLC | |||||
| By: | /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||||
| Name: | Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||||
| Title: | COO TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC | |||||
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| The Underwriter: | FRANKLIN/XXXXXXXXX DISTRIBUTORS, INC. | |||||
| By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||||
| Name: | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||||
| Title: | Vice President | |||||
| The Company: | TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | |||||
| By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |||||
| Name: | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |||||
| Title: | Vice President | |||||
| The Distributor: | TIAA-CREF INDIVIDUAL & INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES, LLC | |||||
| By: |
| |||||
| Name: | ||||||
| Title: | ||||||
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Attachment A to Amendment to Participation Agreement
| 4. | Fees, Expenses, Prospectuses, Proxy Materials and Reports |
4.4 “Designated Portfolio Document” means the following documents we create with respect to each Portfolio and provide to you: (1) a Portfolio’s prospectus, including a summary prospectus (together, “Prospectus”) if the Trust chooses to create one for a Portfolio and we and you have signed the necessary Participation Agreement Addendum; (2) its annual report to shareholders; (3) its semi-annual report to shareholders; (4) amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing if we direct you to deliver them to Contract owners; and (5) other shareholder communications including, without limitation, proxy statements, if we direct you to deliver them to Contract owners.
“Document Event” means (l) with respect to the Prospectus, the effectiveness of a new annual post-effective amendment to the Prospectus to update financial statements and make other disclosure changes or other post-effective amendment to the Prospectus; (2) with respect to the Trust’s annual report and semi-annual reports to shareholders, the Trust’s creation of reports intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 30(a) of the 1940 Act applicable to the Trust; or (3) with respect to amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing or other shareholder communications, the Trust’s creation of such documents and provision of them to you.
“Printing Expenses” means expenses of the physical creation of Designated Portfolio Documents, and not of their distribution to Contract owners (including, without limitation, mailing and postage expenses) or the provision of other services.
Each time there is a Document Event with respect to a Designated Portfolio Document we shall, at your option, provide you with one of the following:
| (1) | one copy of the applicable Designated Portfolio Document for each Contract owner with investments allocated to a subaccount corresponding to the Portfolio before the date of the Designated Portfolio Document (the “Contract Owner Recipients”); or |
| (2) | a copy suitable for reproduction of such Designated Portfolio Document, in which case we will reimburse you, as provided below under “Reimbursement Procedures,” for Printing Expenses you incur to create Designated Portfolio Documents in sufficient quantity so that one such Designated Portfolio Document is available for you to have delivered to each Contract Owner Recipient. |
Reimbursement Procedures
Routine Reimbursements. Within six months following the delivery date of the Designated Portfolio Document (“Delivery Date”), we must receive [ILLEGIBLE]
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request for reimbursement and: (i) a statement of the number of Contract Owner Recipients; (ii) copies of all printing company invoices applicable to the Printing Expenses that you request we reimburse; (iii) a description of the methodology used to determine the amount of reimbursement requested; and (iv) your representation that the reimbursement request covers only Printing Expenses covered by Section 4.4 of this Agreement; the date we have received all these items is the “Request Date.” If we are able to validate your request based on the information you provided as well as, among other things we believe to be appropriate, our analysis of your previous reimbursement requests, if applicable, and/or third party industry benchmarking information, then we will reimburse you within sixty days of the Request Date.
Reimbursements requiring additional information. If we cannot validate your reimbursement request based on the information you have provided to us and our analysis described in the preceding paragraph, then we will request additional information from you and work with you to validate your request.
Expenses not subject to reimbursement. We will not reimburse expenses related to: (1) creation or provision of any Designated Portfolio Document for or to a person who is not a Contract Owner Recipient of such document; (2) creation or provision of any Designated Portfolio Document to a person accompanying, or at the time of the delivery of, a confirmation of their purchase of or exchange into subaccount shares corresponding to a Portfolio; (3) posting any Designated Portfolio Document on your website; or (4) electronic filing of Designated Portfolio Documents or other documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (using its XXXXX or other system).
Statement of Additional Information. We shall provide you with a copy of the Trust’s current statement of additional information, including any amendments or supplements to it (“SAI), in a form suitable for reproduction , but we will not pay Printing Expenses or other expenses with respect to the SAI.
| 6. | Sales Material, Information and Trademarks |
6.1 “Sales Literature/ Promotional Material” includes, but is not limited to, portions of the following that use any logo or other trademark related to the Trust, or Underwriter or its affiliates, or refer to the Trust: advertisements (such as material published or designed for use in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording, videotape display, signs or billboards, motion pictures, web-sites and other electronic communications or other public media), sales literature (i.e., any written communication distributed or made generally available to customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research reports, market letters, form letters, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts or any other advertisement, sales literature or published article or electronic communication), educational or training materials or other communications distributed or made generally available to some or all agents or employees in any media, and disclosure documents, shareholder reports and proxy materials. “Disclosure Documents” shall [ILLEGIBLE]
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each item of the following if prepared, approved or used by you and relating to a Contract, an Account, or a Portfolio, and any amendments or revisions to such document: registration statements, prospectuses, statements of additional information, private placement memoranda, retirement plan disclosure information or other disclosure documents or similar information, as well as any solicitation for voting instructions.
6.2 You may use the name of the Trust and trademarks and the logo of the Underwriter in Sales Literature/Promotional Material as reasonably necessary to carry out your performance and obligations under this Agreement provided that you comply with the provisions of this Agreement. You agree to abide by any reasonable use guidelines regarding use of such trademarks and logos that we may give from time to time. You shall, as we may request from time to time, promptly furnish, or cause to be furnished to us or our designee, one complete copy of each item of the following: (i) Sales Literature/Promotional Material prepared, approved or used by you; and (ii) Disclosure Documents.
6.3 You and your agents shall not give any information or make any representations or statements on behalf of the Trust or concerning the Trust, the Underwriter or an Adviser, other than information or representations contained in and accurately derived from the registration statement or prospectus for the Trust shares (as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time), annual and semi-annual reports of the Trust, Trust-sponsored proxy statements, or in Sales Literature/Promotional Material created by us for the Trust and provided by the Trust or its designee to you, except as required by legal process or regulatory authorities or with the written permission of the Trust or its designee.
6.4 You agree, represent and warrant that you are solely responsible for any Sales Literature/ Promotional Material prepared by you and that such material will: (a) conform to all requirements of any applicable laws or regulations of any government or authorized agency having jurisdiction over the offering or sale of shares of the Portfolios or Contracts; (b) be solely based upon and not contrary to or inconsistent with the written information or materials provided to you by us or a Portfolio, including the Trust’s prospectus and statement of additional information; and (c) be made available promptly to us upon our request. You agree to file any Sales Literature/Promotional Material prepared by you with FINRA, or other applicable legal or regulatory authority, within the timeframes that may be required from time to time by FINRA or such other legal or regulatory authority. Unless otherwise expressly agreed to in writing, it is understood that we will neither review nor approve for use any materials prepared by you and will not be materially involved in the preparation of, or have any responsibility for, any such materials prepared by you. You are not authorized to modify or translate any materials we have provided to you.
6.5 You shall promptly notify us of any written customer complaint or notice of any regulatory investigation or proceeding received by you relating to any Sales Literature/Promotional Material.
6.6 Other than naming you as a Trust shareholder, we shall not give any information or make any representations or statements on behalf of you or concerning you. the Accounts or the Contracts other than information or representations contained in [ILLEGIBLE]
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accurately derived from Disclosure Documents (as such Disclosure Documents may be amended or supplemented from time to time), or in materials approved by you for distribution, including Sales Literature/ Promotional Material, except as required by legal process or regulatory authorities or with your written permission.
6.7 Except as provided in Section 6.2, you shall not use any designation comprised in whole or part of the names or marks “Franklin” or “Xxxxxxxxx” or any logo or other trademark relating to the Trust or the Underwriter without prior written consent, and upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, you shall cease all use of any such name or xxxx as soon as reasonably practicable.
6.8 You shall furnish to us ten (10) Business Days prior to its first submission to the SEC or its staff, any request or Filing for no-action assurance or exemptive relief naming, pertaining to, or affecting, the Trust, the Underwriter or any of the Portfolios.
6.9 You agree that any posting of Designated Portfolio Documents on your website or use of Designated Portfolio Documents in any other electronic format will result in the Designated Portfolio Documents: (i) appearing identical to the hard copy printed version or .pdf format file provided to you by us (except that you may reformat .pdf format prospectus files in order to delete blank pages and to insert .pdf format prospectus supplement files provided by us to you); (ii) being clearly associated with the particular Contracts in which they are available and posted in close proximity to the applicable Contract prospectuses; (iii) having no less prominence than prospectuses of any other underlying funds available under the Contracts; (iv) in compliance with any statutory prospectus delivery requirements and (v) being used in an authorized manner. Notwithstanding the above, you understand and agree that you are responsible for ensuring that participation in the Portfolios, and any website posting, or other use, of the Designated Portfolio Documents is in compliance with this Agreement and applicable state and federal securities and insurance laws and regulations, including as they relate to paper or electronic delivery or use of fund prospectuses. We reserve the right to inspect and review your website if any Designated Portfolio Documents and/or other Trust documents are posted on your website and you shall, upon our reasonable request, provide us timely access to your website materials to perform such inspection and review.
In addition, you agree to be solely responsible for maintaining and updating the Designated Portfolio Documents’ .pdf files and removing and/or replacing promptly any outdated prospectuses and other documents, as necessary, ensuring that any accompanying instructions by us, for using or stopping use, are followed. You agree to designate and make available to us a person to act as a single point of communication contact for these purposes. We are not responsible for any additional costs or additional liabilities that may be incurred as a result of your election to place the Designated Portfolio Documents on your website. We reserve the right to revoke this authorization, at any time and for any reason, although we may instead make our authorization subject to new procedures.
6.10 Each of your and your distributor’s registered representatives, agents, independent contractors and employees, as applicable, will have access to our websites at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx, and such other URLs through which we may permit you to [ILLEGIBLE]
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business concerning the Portfolios from time to time (referred to collectively as the “Site”) as provided herein: (i) upon registration by such individual on a Site, (ii) if you cause a Site Access Request Form (an “Access Form”) to be signed by your authorized supervisory personnel and submitted to us, as a Schedule to, and legally a part of, this Agreement, or (iii) if you provide such individual with the necessary access codes or other information necessary to access the Site through any generic or firm-wide authorization we may grant you from time to time. Upon receipt by us of a completed registration submitted by an individual through the Site or a signed Access Form referencing such individual, we shall be entitled to rely upon the representations contained therein as if you had made them directly hereunder and we will issue a user identification, express number and/or password (collectively, “Access Code”). Any person to whom we issue an Access Code or to whom you provide the necessary Access Codes or other information necessary to access the Site through any generic or firm-wide authorization we may grant you from time to time shall be an “Authorized User.”
We shall be entitled to assume that such person validly represents you and that all instructions received from such person are authorized, in which case such person will have access to the Site, including all services and information to which you are authorized to access on the Site. All inquiries and actions initiated by you (including your Authorized Users) are your responsibility, are at your risk and are subject to our review and approval (which could cause a delay in processing). You agree that we do not have a duty to question information or instructions you (including Authorized Users) give to us under this Agreement, and that we are entitled to treat as authorized, and act upon, any such instructions and information you submit to us. You agree to take all reasonable measures to prevent any individual other than an Authorized User from obtaining access to the Site. You agree to inform us if you wish to restrict or revoke the access of any individual Access Code. If you become aware of any loss or theft or unauthorized use of any Access Code, you agree to contact us immediately. You also agree to monitor your (including Authorized Users’) use of the Site to ensure the terms of this Agreement are followed. You also agree that you will comply with all policies and agreements concerning Site usage, including without limitation the Terms of Use Agreement(s) posted on the Site (“Site Terms”), as may be revised and reposted on the Site from time to time, and those Site Terms (as in effect from time to time) are a part of this Agreement. Your duties under this section are considered “services” required under the terms of this Agreement. You acknowledge that the Site is transmitted over the Internet on a reasonable efforts basis and we do not warrant or guarantee their accuracy, timeliness, completeness, reliability or non-infringement. Moreover, you acknowledge that the Site is provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended to comply with any requirements established by any regulatory or governmental agency.
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