PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT Among VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND, FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION and
EXHIBIT 8(b)(i)
Among
VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND,
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
and
IL ANNUITY AND INSURANCE COMPANY
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as of September 5, 1995 by and among IL ANNUITY AND
INSURANCE COMPANY, (hereinafter the “Company”), a Massachusetts corporation, on its own behalf and
on behalf of each segregated asset account of the Company set forth on Schedule A hereto as may be
amended from time to time (each such account hereinafter referred to as the “Account”), and the
VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND, an unincorporated business trust organized under the laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts (hereinafter the “Fund”) and FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
(hereinafter the “Underwriter”), a Massachusetts corporation.
WHEREAS, the Fund engages in business as an open-end management investment company and is
available to act as the investment vehicle for separate accounts established for variable life
insurance policies and variable annuity contracts (collectively, the “Variable Insurance Products”)
to be offered by insurance companies which have entered into participation agreements with the Fund
and the Underwriter (hereinafter “Participating Insurance Companies”); and
WHEREAS, the beneficial interest in the Fund is divided into several series of shares, each
representing the interest in a particular managed portfolio of securities and other assets, any one
or more of which may be made available under this Agreement, as may be amended from time to time by
mutual agreement of the parties hereto (each such series hereinafter referred to as a “Portfolio”);
and
WHEREAS, the Fund has obtained an order from the Securities and Exchange Commission, dated
October 15, 1985 (File No. 812-6102), granting Participating Insurance Companies and variable
annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts exemptions from the provisions of sections
9(a), 13(a), 15(a), and 15(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (hereinafter the
“1940 Act”) and Rules 6e-2(b) (15) and 6e-3(T) (b) (15) thereunder, to the extent necessary to
permit shares of the Fund to be sold to and held by variable annuity and variable life insurance
separate accounts of both affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies (hereinafter the
“Shared Funding Exemptive Order”); and
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management investment company under the 1940
Act and its shares are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (hereinafter the
“1933 Act”); and
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WHEREAS, Fidelity Management & Research Company (the “Adviser”) is duly registered as an
investment adviser under the federal Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and any applicable state
securities law; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register certain variable life insurance or
variable annuity contracts under the 1933 Act; and
WHEREAS, each Account is a duly organized, validly existing segregated asset account,
established by resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company, on the date shown for such
Account on Schedule A hereto, to set aside and invest assets attributable to the aforesaid variable
annuity contracts; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register each Account as a unit investment trust
under the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Underwriter is registered as a broker dealer with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (hereinafter the “1934
Act”), and is a member in good standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
(hereinafter “NASD”); and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and regulations, the Company
intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios on behalf of each Account to fund certain of the
aforesaid variable life and variable annuity contracts and the Underwriter is authorized to sell
such shares to unit investment trusts such as each Account at net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Company, the Fund and the
Underwriter agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. Sale of Fund Shares
1.1. The Underwriter agrees to sell to the Company those shares of the Fund which each Account
orders, executing such orders on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt
by the Fund or its designee of the order for the shares of the Fund. For purposes of this Section
1.1, the Company shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of such orders from each Account and
receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund; provided that the Fund receives
notice of such order by 9:00 a.m. Boston time on the next following Business Day. “Business Day”
shall mean any day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which the Fund
calculates its net asset value pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
1.2. The Fund agrees to make its shares available indefinitely for purchase at the applicable
net asset value per share by the Company and its Accounts on those days on which the Fund
calculates its net asset value pursuant to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the
Fund shall use reasonable efforts to calculate such net asset value on each day which the New York
Stock Exchange is open for trading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Trustees of the
Fund (hereinafter the “Board”) may refuse to sell shares of any Portfolio to any person, or suspend
or terminate the offering of shares of any Portfolio if such action is required by law or by
regulatory authorities having jurisdiction or is, in the sole discretion of the Board
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acting in good faith and in light of their fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable
state laws, necessary in the best interests of the shareholders of such Portfolio.
1.3. The Fund and the Underwriter agree that shares of the Fund will be sold only to
Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts. No shares of any Portfolio will be
sold to the general public.
1.4. The Fund and the Underwriter will not sell Fund shares to any insurance company or
separate account unless an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as Articles I,
III, V, VII and Section 2.5 of Article II of this Agreement is in effect to govern such sales.
1.5. The Fund agrees to redeem for cash, on the Company’s request, any full or fractional
shares of the Fund held by the Company, executing such requests on a daily basis at the net asset
value next computed after receipt by the Fund or its designee of the request for redemption. For
purposes of this Section 1.5, the Company shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of requests
for redemption from each Account and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund;
provided that the Fund receives notice of such request for redemption on the next following
Business Day.
1.6. The Company agrees that purchases and redemptions of Portfolio shares offered by the then
current prospectus of the Fund shall be made in accordance with the provisions of such prospectus.
The Company agrees that all net amounts available under the variable annuity contracts with the
form number(s) which are listed on Schedule A attached hereto and incorporated herein by this
reference, as such Schedule A may be amended from time to time hereafter by mutual written
agreement of all the parties hereto, (the “Contracts”) shall be invested in the Fund, in such other
Funds advised by the Adviser as may be mutually agreed to in writing by the parties hereto, or in
the Company’s general account, provided that such amounts may also be invested in an investment
company other than the Fund if (a) such other investment company, or series thereof, has investment
objectives or policies that are substantially different from the investment objectives and policies
of all the Portfolios of the Fund which are actually used by the Company to fund the Contacts; or
(b) the Company gives the Fund and the Underwriter 45 days written notice of its intention to make
such other investment company available as a funding vehicle for the Contracts; or (c) such other
investment company was available as a funding vehicle for the Contracts prior to the date of this
Agreement and the Company so informs the Fund and Underwriter prior to their signing this Agreement
(a list of such funds appearing on Schedule C to this Agreement); or (d) the Fund or Underwriter
consents to the use of such other investment company.
1.7. The Company shall pay for Fund shares on the next Business Day after an order to purchase
Fund shares is made in accordance with the provisions of Section 1.1 hereof. Payment shall be in
federal funds transmitted by wire. For purpose of Section 2.10 and 2.11, upon receipt by the Fund
of the federal funds so wired, such funds shall cease to be the responsibility of the Company and
shall become the responsibility of the Fund.
1.8. Issuance and transfer of the Fund’s shares will be by book entry only. Stock certificates
will not be issued to the Company or any Account. Shares ordered from the Fund will
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be recorded in an appropriate title for each Account or the appropriate subaccount of each
Account.
1.9. The Fund shall furnish same day notice (by wire or telephone, followed by written
confirmation) to the Company of any income, dividends or capital gain distributions payable on the
Fund’s shares. The Company hereby elects to receive all such income dividends and capital gain
distributions as are payable on the Portfolio shares in additional shares of that Portfolio. The
Company reserves the right to revoke this election and to receive all such income dividends and
capital gain distributions in cash. The Fund shall notify the Company of the number of shares so
issued as payment of such dividends and distributions.
1.10. The Fund shall make the net asset value per share for each Portfolio available to the
Company on a daily basis as soon as reasonably practical after the net asset value per share is
calculated (normally by 6:30 p.m. Boston time) and shall use its best efforts to make such net
asset value per share available by 7 p.m. Boston time.
ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties
2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts are or will be registered under
the 1933 Act; that the Contracts will be issued and sold in compliance in all material respects
with all applicable Federal and State laws and that the sale of the Contracts shall comply in all
material respects with state insurance suitability requirements. The Company further represents and
warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in good standing under applicable law
and that it has legally and validly established each Account prior to any issuance or sale thereof
as a segregated asset account under Section 175:132G of the Massachusetts Insurance Code and has
registered or, prior to any issuance or sale of the Contracts, will register each Account as a unit
investment trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as a segregated
investment account for the Contracts.
2.2. The Fund represents and warrants that Fund shares sold pursuant to this Agreement shall
be registered under the 1933 Act, duly authorized for issuance and sold in compliance with the laws
of the State of Massachusetts and all applicable federal and state securities laws and that the
Fund is and shall remain registered under the 0000 Xxx. The Fund shall amend the Registration
Statement for its shares under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to time as required in order
to effect the continuous offering of its shares. The Fund shall register and qualify the shares for
sale in accordance with the laws of the various states only if and to the extent deemed advisable
by the Fund or the Underwriter.
2.3. The Fund represents that it is currently qualified as a Regulated Investment Company
under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”) and that it will
make every effort to maintain such qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar
provision) and that it will notify the Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis for
believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it might not so qualify in the future.
2.4. So long as the Fund complies with the diversification requirements noted in Article VI,
the Company represents that the Contracts are currently treated as endowment,
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annuity or life insurance contracts, under applicable provisions of the Code and that it will
make every effort to maintain such treatment and that it will notify the Fund and the Underwriter
immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that the Contracts have ceased to be so
treated or that they might not be so treated in the future.
2.5. The Fund currently does not intend to make any payments to finance distribution expenses
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act or otherwise, although it may make such payments in the
future. The Fund has adopted a “no fee” or “defensive” Rule 12b-1 Plan under which it makes no
payments for distribution expenses. To the extent that it decides to finance distribution expenses
pursuant to Rule 12b-1, the Fund undertakes to have a board of trustees, a majority of whom are not
interested persons of the Fund, formulate and approve any plan under Rule 12b-1 to finance
distribution expenses.
2.6. The Fund makes no representation as to whether any aspect of its operations (including,
but not limited to, fees and expenses and investment policies) complies with the insurance laws or
regulations of the various states except that the Fund represents that the Fund’s investment
policies, fees and expenses are and shall at all times remain in compliance with the laws of the
State of Massachusetts and Indiana and the Fund and the Underwriter represent that their respective
operations are and shall at all times remain in material compliance with the laws of the State of
Massachusetts to the extent required to perform this Agreement.
2.7. The Underwriter represents and warrants that it is a member in good standing of the NASD
and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. The Underwriter further represents that it will
sell and distribute the Fund shares in accordance with the laws of the State of Massachusetts and
all applicable state and federal securities laws, including without limitation the 1933 Act, the
1934 Act, and the 0000 Xxx.
2.8. The Fund represents that it is lawfully organized and validly existing under the laws of
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that it does and will comply in all material respects with
the 1940 Act.
2.9. The Underwriter represents and warrants that the Adviser is and shall remain duly
registered in all material respects under all applicable federal and state securities laws and that
the Adviser shall perform its obligations for the Fund in compliance in all material respects with
the laws of the State of Massachusetts and any applicable state and federal securities laws.
2.10. The Fund and Underwriter represent and warrant that all of their directors, officers,
employees, investment advisers, and other individuals/entities dealing with the money and/or
securities of the Fund are and shall continue to be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond
or similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than the minimal coverage as
required currently by Rule 17g-(l) of the 1940 Act or related provisions as may be promulgated from
time to time. The aforesaid Bond shall include coverage for larceny and embezzlement and shall be
issued by a reputable bonding company.
2.11. The Company represents and warrants that all of its directors, officers, employees,
investment advisers, and other individuals/entities dealing with the money and/or securities of the
Fund are covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage, and that said bond is issued
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by a reputable bonding company, includes coverage for larceny and embezzlement, and is in an
amount not less than $5 million. The Company agrees that any amounts received under such bond in
connection with claims that arise from the arrangements described in this Agreement will be held by
the Company for the benefit of the Fund. The Company agrees to make all reasonable efforts to see
that this bond or another bond containing these provisions is always in effect, and agrees to
notify the Fund and the Underwriter in the event that such coverage no longer applies.
ARTICLE III. Prospectuses and Proxy Statements; Voting
3.1. The Underwriter shall provide the Company with as many printed copies of the Fund’s
current prospectus and Statement of Additional Information as the Company may reasonably request.
If requested by the Company in lieu thereof, the Fund shall provide camera-ready film or computer
diskettes containing the Fund’s prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, and such other
assistance as is reasonably necessary in order for the Company once each year (or more frequently
if the prospectus and/or Statement of Additional Information for the Fund is amended during the
year) to have the prospectus for the Contracts and the Fund’s prospectus printed together in one
document, and to have the Statement of Additional Information for the Fund and the Statement of
Additional Information for the Contracts printed together in one document. Alternatively, the
Company may print the Fund’s prospectus and/or its Statement of Additional Information in
combination with other fund companies’ prospectuses and statements of additional information. The
Fund will make reasonable efforts to create a separate prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information for each Portfolio, but does not guarantee that such prospectuses or SAIs will be
generated in any particular year.
Except as provided in the following three sentences, all expenses of printing and distributing
Fund prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information shall be the expense of the Company. For
prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information provided by the Company to its existing
owners of Contracts in order to update disclosure as required by the 1933 Act and/or the 1940 Act,
the cost of printing shall be borne by the Fund. If the Company chooses to receive camera-ready
film or computer diskettes in lieu of receiving printed copies of the Fund’s prospectus, the Fund
will reimburse the Company in an amount equal to the product of A and B where A is the number of
such prospectuses distributed to owners of the Contracts, and B is the Fund’s per unit cost of
typesetting and printing the Fund’s prospectus. The same procedures shall be followed with respect
to the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
The Company agrees to provide the Fund or its designee with such information as may be
reasonably requested by the Fund to assure that the Fund’s expenses do not include the cost of
printing any prospectuses or Statements of Additional Information other than those actually
distributed to existing owners of the Contracts.
3.2. The Fund’s prospectus shall state that the Statement of Additional Information for the
Fund is available from the Underwriter or the Company (or in the Fund’s discretion, the Prospectus
shall state that such Statement is available from the Fund).
3.3. The Fund, at its expense, shall provide the Company with copies of its proxy statements,
reports to shareholders, and other communications (except for prospectuses and
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Statements of Additional Information, which are covered in Section 3.1) to shareholders in
such quantity as the Company shall reasonably require for distributing to Contract owners.
3.4. If and to the extent required by law the Company shall:
(i) | solicit voting instructions from Contract owners; | ||
(ii) | vote the Fund shares in accordance with instructions received from Contract owners; and | ||
(iii) | vote Fund shares for which no instructions have been received in a particular separate account in the same proportion as Fund shares of such portfolio for which instructions have been received in that separate account, |
so long as and to the extent that the Securities and Exchange Commission continues to interpret the
1940 Act to require pass-through voting privileges for variable contract owners. The Company
reserves the right to vote Fund shares held in any segregated asset account in its own right, to
the extent permitted by law. Participating Insurance Companies shall be responsible for assuring
that each of their separate accounts participating in the Fund calculates voting privileges in a
manner consistent with the standards set forth on Schedule B attached hereto and incorporated
herein by this reference, which standards will also be provided to the other Participating
Insurance Companies.
3.5. The Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act requiring voting by
shareholders, and in particular the Fund will either provide for annual meetings or comply with
Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act (although the Fund is not one of the trusts described in Section 6(c)
of that Act) as well as with Sections 16(a) and, if and when applicable, 16(b). Further, the Fund
will act in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s interpretation of the
requirements of Section 16(a) with respect to periodic elections of trustees and with whatever
rules the Commission may promulgate with respect thereto.
ARTICLE IV. Sales Material and Information
4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the Fund or its designee,
each piece of sales literature or other promotional material in which the Fond or its investment
adviser or the Underwriter is named, at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such
material shall be used if the Fund or its designee reasonably objects to such use within fifteen
Business Days after receipt of such material.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any representations or statements on
behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund in connection with the sale of the Contracts other than
the information or representations contained in the registration statement or prospectus for the
Fund shares, as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time
to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Fund, or in sales literature or other
promotional material approved by the Fund or its designee or by the Underwriter, except with the
permission of the Fund or the Underwriter or the designee of either.
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4.3. The Fund, Underwriter, or its designee shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to
the Company or its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional material in which
the Company and/or its separate account(s), is named at least fifteen Business Days prior to its
use. No such material shall be used if the Company or its designee reasonably objects to such use
within fifteen Business Days after receipt of such material.
4.4. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not give any information or make any representations
on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company, each Account, or the Contracts other than the
information or representation contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the
Contracts, as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time
to time, or in published reports for each Account which are in the public domain or approved by the
Company for distribution to Contract owners, or in sales literature or other promotional material
approved by the company or its designee, except with the permission of the Company.
4.5. The Fund will provide to the Company at least one complete copy of all registration
statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, reports, proxy statements, sales
literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no-action
letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that relate to the Fund or its shares,
contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the Securities and Exchange Commission or
other regulatory authorities.
4.6. The Company will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy of all registration
statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, reports, solicitations for voting
instructions, sales literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions,
requests for no action letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that relate to the
Contracts or each Account, contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the SEC or other
regulatory authorities.
4.7. For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase “sales literature or other promotional
material” includes, but is not limited to, any of the following that refer to the Fund or any
affiliate of the Fund: 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, 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 of any other advertisement, sales literature, or published article),
educational or training materials or other communications distributed or made generally available
to some or all agents or employees, and registration statements, prospectuses, Statements of
Additional Information, shareholder reports, and proxy materials.
ARTICLE V. Fees and Expense
5.1. The Fund and Underwriter shall pay no fee or other compensation to the Company under this
agreement, except that if the Fund or any Portfolio adopts and implements a plan pursuant to Rule
12b-l to finance distribution expenses, then the Underwriter may make payments to the Company or to
the underwriter for the Contracts if and in amounts agreed to by
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the Underwriter in writing and such payments will be made out of existing fees otherwise
payable to the Underwriter, past profits of the Underwriter or other resources available to the
Underwriter. No such payments shall be made directly by the Fund. Currently, no such payments are
contemplated.
5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the Fund under this Agreement shall be paid by
the Fund. The Fund shall see to it that all its shares are registered and authorized for issuance
in accordance with applicable federal law and, if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund,
in accordance with applicable state laws prior to their sale. The Fund shall bear the expenses for
the cost of registration and qualification of the Fund’s shares, preparation and filing of the
Fund’s prospectus and registration statement, proxy materials and reports, setting the prospectus
in type, setting in type and printing the proxy materials and reports to shareholders (including
the costs of printing a prospectus that constitutes an annual report), the preparation of all
statements and notices required by any federal or state law, and all taxes on the issuance or
transfer of the Fund’s shares.
5.3. The Company shall bear the expenses of distributing the Fund’s prospectus, proxy
materials and reports to owners of Contracts issued by the Company.
ARTICLE VI. Diversification
6.1. The Fund will at all times invest money from the Contracts in such a manner as to ensure
that the Contracts will be treated as variable contracts under the Code and the regulations issued
thereunder. Without limiting the scope of the foregoing, the Fund will at all times comply with
Section 817(h) of the Code and Treasury Regulation 1.817-5, relating to the diversification
requirements for variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance contracts and any amendments or
other modifications to such Section or Regulations. In the event of a breach of this Article VI by
the Fund, it will take all reasonable steps (a) to notify Company of such breach and (b) to
adequately diversify the Fund so as to achieve compliance with the grace period afforded by
Regulation 1.817-5.
ARTICLE VII. Potential Conflicts
7.1. The Board will monitor the Fund for the existence of any material irreconcilable conflict
between the interests of the contract owners of all separate accounts investing in the Fund. An
irreconcilable material conflict may arise for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by
any state insurance regulatory authority; (b) a change in applicable federal or state insurance,
tax, or securities laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private letter ruling, no-action or
interpretative letter, or any similar action by insurance, tax, or securities regulatory
authorities; (c) an administrative or judicial decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the manner
in which the investments of any Portfolio are being managed; (e) a difference in voting
instructions given by variable annuity contract and variable life insurance contract owners; or (f)
a decision by an insurer to disregard the voting instructions of contract owners. The Board shall
promptly inform the Company if it determines that an irreconcilable material conflict exists and
the implications thereof.
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7.2. The Company will report any potential or existing conflicts of which it is aware to the
Board. The Company will assist the Board in carrying out its responsibilities under the Shared
Funding Exemptive Order, by providing the Board with all information reasonably necessary for the
Board to consider any issues raised. This includes, but is not limited to, an obligation by the
Company to inform the Board whenever contract owner voting instructions are disregarded.
7.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Board, or a majority of its disinterested
trustees, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists, the Company and other Participating
Insurance Companies shall, at their expense and to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined
by a majority of the disinterested trustees), take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or
eliminate the irreconcilable material conflict, up to and including: (1), withdrawing the assets
allocable to some or all of the separate accounts from the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting
such assts in a different investment medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of
the Fund, or submitting the question whether such segregation should be implemented to a vote of
all affected Contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of any appropriate group
(i.e., annuity contract owners, life insurance contract owners, or variable contract owners
of one or more Participating Insurance Companies) that votes in favor of such segregation, or
offering to the affected contract owners the option of making such a change; and (2), establishing
a new registered management investment company or managed separate account.
7.4. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a decision by the Company to
disregard contract owner voting instructions and that decision represents a minority position or
would preclude a majority vote, the Company may be required, at the Fund’s election, to withdraw
the affected Account’s investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with respect to such
Account; provided, however that such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent
required by the foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board. Any such withdrawal and termination must take place within six
(6) months after the Fund gives written notice that this provision is being implemented, and until
the end of that six month period the Underwriter and Fund shall continue to accept and implement
orders by the Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.5. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular state insurance
regulator’s decision applicable to the Company conflicts with the majority of other state
regulators, then the Company will withdraw the affected Account’s investment in the Fund and
terminate this Agreement with respect to such Account within six months after the Board informs the
Company in writing that it has determined that such decision has created an irreconcilable material
conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent
required by the foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board. Until the end of the foregoing six month period, the
Underwriter and Fund shall continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase
(and redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.6. For purposes of Sections 7.3 through 7.6 of this Agreement, a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board shall determine whether any proposed action adequately
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remedies any irreconcilable material conflict, but in no event will the Fund be required to
establish a new funding medium for the Contracts. The Company shall not be required by Section 7.3
to establish a new funding medium for the Contracts if an offer to do so has been declined by vote
of a majority of Contract owners materially adversely affected by the irreconcilable material
conflict. In the event that the Board determines that any proposed action does not adequately
remedy any irreconcilable material conflict, then the Company will withdraw the Account’s
investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement within six (6) months after the Board informs
the Company in writing of the foregoing determination, provided, however, that such withdrawal and
termination shall be limited to the extent required by any such material irreconcilable conflict as
determined by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board.
7.7. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended, or Rule 6e-3 is
adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the Act or the rules promulgated
thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding (as defined in the Shared Funding Exemptive
Order) on terms and conditions materially different from those contained in the Shared Funding
Exemptive Order, then (a) the Fund and/or the Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate,
shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply with Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3(T), as amended, and
Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent such rules are applicable; and (b) Sections 3.4, 3.5, 7.1,
7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 of this Agreement shall continue in effect only to the extent that terms and
conditions substantially identical to such Sections are contained in such Rule(s) as so amended or
adopted.
ARTICLE VIII. Indemnification
8.1. Indemnification By The Company
8.1(a). The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and each trustee of the
Board and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Fund within the meaning of Section 15
of the 1933 Act (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties” for purposes of this Section 8.1) against
any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the
written consent of the Company) or litigation (including legal and other expenses), to which the
Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute, regulation, at common law or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or
settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund’s shares or the Contract s and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or alleged untrue
statements of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement or
prospectus for the Contracts or contained in the Contracts or sales literature for
the Contracts (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise
out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply
as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged statement
or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished
to the Company by or on behalf of the Fund for use in the
11
Registration Statement or prospectus for the Contracts or in the Contracts or
sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in
connection with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations (other an
statements or representations contained in the Registration Statement, prospectus
or sales literature of the Fund not supplied by the Company, or persons under its
control) or wrongful conduct of the Company or persons under its control, with
respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or Fund Shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in a Registration Statement, prospectus, or sales
literature of the Fund or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading if such a
statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Fund
by or on behalf of the Company; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Company to provide the services
and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement; or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation
and/or warranty made by the Company in this Agreement or arise out of or result
from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Company, as limited by and
in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.1(b) and 8.1(c) hereof.
8.1(b). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to
any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation incurred or assessed against an Indemnified
Party as such may arise from such Indemnified Party’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross
negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party’s duties or by reason of such Indemnified
Party’s reckless disregard of obligations or duties under this Agreement or to the Fund, whichever
is applicable.
8.1(c). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to
any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the
Company in writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after
such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any designated agent), but
failure to notify the Company of any such claim shall not relieve the Company from any liability
which it may have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on
account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought against the
Indemnified Parties, the Company shall be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the
defense of such action. The Company also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with
counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice from the Company to such party
of the Company’s election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees
and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and
12
the Company will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other
expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense thereof
other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.1(d). The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify the Company of the commencement of any
litigation or proceedings against them in connection with the issuance or sale of the Fund Shares
or the Contracts or the operation of the Fund.
8.2. Indemnification by the Underwriter
8.2(a). The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of its
directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of
Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties” for purposes of this Section
8.2) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement
with the written consent of the Underwriter) or litigation (including legal and other expenses) to
which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute, at common law or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or
settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund’s shares or the Contracts and:
(i) | arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement or prospectus or sales literature of the Fund (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Underwriter or Fund by or on behalf of the Company for use in the Registration Statement or prospectus for the Fund or in sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or | ||
(ii) | arise out of or as a result of statements or representations (other than statements or representations contained in the Registration Statement, prospectus or sales literature for the Contracts not supplied by the Underwriter or persons under its control) or wrongful conduct of the Fund, Adviser or Underwriter or persons under their control, with respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or fund shares; or | ||
(iii) | arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement prospectus, or sales literature covering the Contracts, or any amendment thereof |
13
or supplement thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement or statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Fund; or | |||
(vi) | arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional or in good faith or otherwise, to comply with the diversification requirements specified in Article VI of this Agreement); or | ||
(v) | arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation and/or warranty made by the Underwriter in this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Underwriter; as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.2(b) and 8.2(c) hereof. |
8.2(b). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect
to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation to which an Indemnified Party would
otherwise be subject by reason of such Indemnified Party’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross
negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party’s duties or by reason of such Indemnified
Party’s reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to each Company or the
Account, whichever is applicable.
8.2(c). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect
to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified
the Underwriter in writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process
giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party
(or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any designated
agent), but failure to notify the Underwriter of any such claim shall not relieve the Underwriter
from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought
otherwise than on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought
against the Indemnified Parties, the Underwriter will be entitled to participate, at its own
expense, in the defense thereof. The Underwriter also shall be entitled to assume the defense
thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice from the
Underwriter to such party of the Underwriter’s election to assume the defense thereof, the
Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and
the Underwriter will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other
expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense thereof
other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.2(d). The Company agrees promptly to notify the Underwriter of the commencement of any
litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers or directors in connection with the
issuance or sale of the Contracts or the operation of each Account.
14
8.3. Indemnification By the Fund
8.3(a). The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and each of its directors
and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of
the 1933 Act (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties” for purposes of this Section 8.3) against any
and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written
consent of the Fund) or litigation (including legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified
Parties may become subject under any statute, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements result from
the gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of the Board or any member thereof, are
related to the operations of the Fund and:
(i) | arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement (including a failure to comply with the diversification requirements specified in Article VI of this Agreement); or | ||
(ii) | arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation and/or warranty made by the Fund in this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Fund; |
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.3(b) and 8.3(c) hereof.
8.3(b). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation incurred or assessed against an Indemnified
Party as such may arise from such Indemnified Party’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross
negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party’s duties or by reason of such Indemnified
Party’s reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to the Company, the
Fund, the Underwriter or each Account, whichever is applicable.
8.3(c). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any
claim made against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Fund
in writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after
such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any designated agent), but
failure to notify the Fund of any such claim shall not relieve the Fund from any liability which it
may have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of
this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought against the Indemnified
Parties, the Fund will be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The
Fund also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party
named in the action. After notice from the Fund to such party of the Fund’s election to assume the
defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel
retained by it, and the Fund will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or
other expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense
thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
15
8.3(d). The Company and the Underwriter agree promptly to notify the Fund of the commencement
of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its respective officers or directors in
connection with this Agreement, the issuance or sale of the Contracts, with respect to the
operation of either Account, or the sale or acquisition of shares of the Fund
ARTICLE IX. Applicable Law
9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof interpreted under and in
accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933, 1934 and 1940 acts, and
the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder, including such exemptions from those statutes,
rules and regulations as the Securities and Exchange Commission may grant (including, but not
limited to, the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) and the terms hereof shall be interpreted and
construed in accordance therewith.
ARTICLE X. Termination
10.1. This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until the first to occur of:
(a) | termination by any party for any reason by six months’ advance written notice delivered to the other parties; or | ||
(b) | termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio based upon the Company’s determination that shares of such Portfolio are not reasonably available to meet the requirements of the Contracts; or | ||
(c) | termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event any of the Portfolio’s shares are not registered, issued or sold in accordance with applicable state and/or federal law or such law precludes the use of such shares as the underlying investment media of the Contracts issued or to be issued by the Company; or | ||
(d) | termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event that such Portfolio ceases to qualify as a Regulated Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Code or under any successor or similar provision, or if the Company reasonably believes that the Fund may fail to so qualify; or | ||
(e) | termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event that such Portfolio fails to meet the diversification requirements specified in Article VI hereof; or | ||
(f) | termination by either the Fund or the Underwriter by written notice to the Company, if either one or both of the Fund or the Underwriter |
16
respectively, shall determine, in their sole judgment exercised in good faith, that the Company and/or its affiliated companies has suffered a material adverse change in its business operations, financial condition or prospects since the date of this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse publicity; or | |||
(g) | termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the Underwriter, if the Company shall determine, in its sole judgment exercised in good faith, that either the Fund or the Underwriter has suffered a material adverse change in its business, operations, financial condition or prospects since the date of this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse publicity; or | ||
(h) | termination by the Fund or the Underwriter by written notice to the Company, if the Company gives the Fund and the Underwriter the written notice specified in Section 1.6(b) hereof and at the time such notice was given there was no notice of termination outstanding under any other provision of this Agreement; provided, however any termination under this Section 10.1(h) shall be effective sixty (60) days after the notice specified in Section 1.6(b) was given. |
10.2. Effect of Termination. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the
Fund and the Underwriter shall at the option of the Company, continue to make available additional
shares of the Fund pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, for all Contracts in
effect on the effective date of termination of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as “Existing
Contracts”). Specifically, without limitation, the owners of the Existing Contracts shall be
permitted to reallocate investments in the Fund, redeem investments in the Fund and/or invest in
the Fund upon the making of additional purchase payments under the Existing Contracts. The parties
agree that this Section 10.2 shall not apply to any terminations under Article VII and the effect
of such Article VII terminations shall be governed by Article VII of this Agreement.
10.3. The Company shall not redeem Fund shares attributable to the Contracts (as opposed to
Fund shares attributable to the Company’s assets held in the Account) except (i) as necessary to
implement Contract Owner initiated or approved transactions, or (ii) as required by state and/or
federal laws or regulations or judicial or other legal precedent of general application
(hereinafter referred to as a “Legally Required Redemption”) or (iii) as permitted by an order of
the SEC pursuant to Section 26(b) of the 1940 Act. Upon request, the Company will promptly furnish
to the Fund and the Underwriter the opinion of counsel for the Company (which counsel shall be
reasonably satisfactory to the Fund and the Underwriter) to the effect that any redemption pursuant
to clause (ii) above is a Legally Required Redemption. Furthermore, except in cases where permitted
under the terms of the Contracts, the Company shall not prevent Contract Owners from allocating
payments to a Portfolio that was otherwise available under the Contracts without first giving the
Fund or the Underwriter 90 days notice of its intention to do so.
17
ARTICLE XI. Notices
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or certified mail to the other
party at the address of such party set forth below or at such other address as such party may from
time to time specify in writing to the other party.
If to the Fund:
00 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Treasurer
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Treasurer
If to the Company:
IL Annuity and Insurance Company
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
X.X. Xxx 0000
Xxxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxx, Esq.
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
X.X. Xxx 0000
Xxxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxx, Esq.
If to the Underwriter:
00 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Treasurer
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Treasurer
ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous
12.1 All persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the property of the Fund for the
enforcement of any claims against the Fund as neither the Board, officers, agents or shareholders
assume any personal liability for obligations entered into on behalf of the Fund.
12.2 Subject to the requirements of legal process and regulatory authority, each party hereto
shall treat as confidential the names and addresses of the owners of the Contracts and all
information reasonably identified as confidential in writing by any other party hereto and, except
as permitted by this Agreement, shall not disclose, disseminate or utilize such names and addresses
and other confidential information until such time as it may come into the public domain without
the express written consent of the affected party.
12.3 The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no
way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or
effect.
12.4 This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of which
taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
12.5 If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision,
statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
12.6 Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party and all appropriate governmental
authorities (including without limitation the SEC, the NASD and state insurance
18
regulators) and shall permit such authorities reasonable access to its books and records in
connection with any investigation or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions
contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, each party hereto further
agrees to furnish the California Insurance Commissioner with any information or reports in
connection with services provided under this Agreement which such Commissioner may request in order
to ascertain whether the insurance operations of the Company are being conducted in a manner
consistent with the California Insurance Regulations and any other applicable law or regulations.
12.7 The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement are cumulative and are
in addition to any and all rights, remedies and obligations, at law or in equity, which the parties
hereto are entitled to under state and federal laws.
12.8. This Agreement or any of the rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned by any
party without the prior written consent of all parties hereto; provided, however, that the
Underwriter may assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder to any affiliate of or
company under common control with the Underwriter, if such assignee is duly licensed and registered
to perform the obligations of the Underwriter under this Agreement. In the event that Underwriter
assigns this Agreement it will make reasonable efforts to inform Company in advance of the
assignment of the identity of its assignee and the effective date of the assignment.
12.9. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the Fund or its designee
copies of the following reports:
(a) | the Company’s annual statement (prepared under statutory accounting principles) and annual report (prepared under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), if any) as soon as practical and in any event within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year; | ||
(b) | the Company’s quarterly statements (statutory) (and GAAP, if any), as soon as practical and in any event within 45 days after the end of each quarterly period: | ||
(c) | any financial statement, proxy statement, notice or report of the Company sent to stockholders and/or policyholders, as soon as practical after the delivery thereof to stockholders; | ||
(d) | any registration statement (without exhibits) and financial reports of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state insurance regulator, as soon as practical after the filing thereof; | ||
(e) | any other report submitted to the Company by independent accountants in connection with any annual, interim or special audit made by them of the books of the Company, as soon as practical after the receipt thereof, unless the sharing of such material would subject the Company to the disclosure of confidential information. |
19
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be executed in its
name and on its behalf by its duly authorized representative and its seal to be hereunder affixed
hereto as of the date specified below.
ATTEST: | ||||||||
IL ANNUITY AND INSURANCE COMPANY | IL ANNUITY AND INSURANCE COMPANY | |||||||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||||
Name:
|
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | Name: | Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||||
Title:
|
President | Title: | Assistant Secretary | |||||
VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND | ||||||||
By:
|
/s/ J. Xxxx Xxxxxxxx
|
|||||||
Name:
|
J. Xxxx Xxxxxxxx | |||||||
Title:
|
Senior Vice President | |||||||
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION | ||||||||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxx
|
|||||||
Name:
|
Xxxx X. Xxxxx | |||||||
Title:
|
President |
20
Schedule A
Separate Accounts and Associated Contracts
Name of Separate Account and Policy Form Numbers of Contracts Funded
Date Established by Board of Directors | By Separate Account | |
IL Annuity and Insurance Co. Separate Account I
|
VA-.95 | |
November 1, 1994 |
21
SCHEDULE B
PROXY VOTING PROCEDURE
PROXY VOTING PROCEDURE
The following is a list of procedures and corresponding responsibilities for the handling of
proxies relating to the Fund by the Underwriter, the Fund and the Company. The defined terms herein
shall have the meanings assigned in the Participation Agreement except that the term “Company”
shall also include the department or third party assigned by the Insurance Company to perform the
steps delineated below.
1. | The number of proxy proposals is given to the Company by the Underwriter as early as possible before the date set by the Fund for the shareholder meeting to facilitate the establishment of tabulation procedures. At this time the Underwriter will inform the Company of the Record, Mailing and Meeting dates. This will be done verbally approximately two months before meeting. | ||
2. | Promptly after the Record Date, the Company will perform a “tape run”, or other activity, which will generate the names, addresses and number of units which are attributed to each contractowner/policyholder (the “Customer”) as of the Record Date. Allowance should be made for account adjustments made after this date that could affect the status of the Customers’ accounts as of the Record Date. | ||
Note: The number of proxy statements is determined by the activities described in Step #2. The Company will use its best efforts to call in the number of Customers to Fidelity, as soon as possible, but no later than two weeks after the Record Date. | |||
3. | The Fund’s Annual Report no longer needs to be sent to each Customer by the Company either before or together with the Customers’ receipt of a proxy statement. Underwriter will provide the last Annual Report to the Company pursuant to the terms of Section 3.3 of the Agreement to which this Schedule relates. | ||
4. | The text and format for the Voting Instruction Cards (“Cards” or “Card”) is provided to the Company by the Fund. The Company, at its expense, shall produce and personalize the Voting Instruction Cards. The Legal Department of the Underwriter or its affiliate (“Fidelity Legal”) must approve the Card before it is printed. Allow approximately 2-4 business days for printing information on the Cards. Information commonly found on the Cards includes: |
a. | name (legal name as found on account registration) | ||
b. | address | ||
c. | Fund or account number | ||
d. | coding to state number of units | ||
e. | individual Card number for use in tracking and verification of votes (already on Cards as printed by the Fund) |
(This and related steps may occur later in the chronological process due to possible uncertainties
relating to the proposals
22
5. | During this time, Fidelity Legal will develop, produce, and the Fund will pay for the Notice of Proxy and the Proxy Statement (one document). Printed and folded notices and statements will be sent to Company for insertion into envelopes (envelopes and return envelopes are provided and paid for by the Insurance Company). Contents of envelope sent to Customers by Company will include: |
a. | Voting Instruction Card(s) | ||
b. | One proxy notice and statement (one document) | ||
c. | return envelope (postage pre-paid by Company) addressed to the Company or its tabulation agent | ||
d. | “urge buckslip” – optional, but recommended. (This is a small, single sheet of paper that requests Customers to vote as quickly as possible and that their vote is important. One copy will be supplied by the Fund.) | ||
e. | cover letter – optional, supplied by Company and reviewed and approved in advance by Fidelity Legal. |
6. | The above contents should be received by the Company approximately 3-5 business days before mail date. Individual in charge at Company reviews and approves the contents of the mailing package to ensure correctness and completeness. Copy of this approval sent to Fidelity Legal. | ||
7. | Package mailed by the Company. |
* | The Fund must allow at least a 15-day solicitation time to the Company as the shareowner. (A 5-week period is recommended.) Solicitation time calculated as calendar days from (but not including) the meeting, counting backwards. |
8. | Collection and tabulation of Cards begins. Tabulation usually takes place in another department or another vendor depending on process used. An often used procedure is to sort Cards on arrival by proposal into vote categories of all yes, no, or mixed replies, and to begin data entry. | ||
Note: Postmarks are not generally needed. A need for postmark information would be due to an insurance company’s internal procedure and has not been required by Fidelity in the past. | |||
9. | Signatures on Card checked against legal name on account registration which was printed on the Card. | ||
Note: For Example, If the account registration is under “Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Trustee,” then that is the exact legal name to be printed on the Card and is the signature needed on the Card. | |||
10. | If Cards are mutilated, or for any reason are illegible or are not signed properly, they are sent back to Customer with an explanatory letter, a new Card and return envelope. The mutilated or illegible Card is disregarded and considered to be not |
23
received for purposes of vote tabulation. Any Cards that have “kicked out” (e.g. mutilated, illegible) of the procedure are “hand verified,” i.e., examined as to why they did not complete the system. Any questions on those Cards are usually remedied individually. | |||
11. | There are various control procedures used to ensure proper tabulation of votes and accuracy of that tabulation. The most prevalent is to sort the Cards as they first arrive into categories depending upon their vote; an estimate of how the vote is progressing may then be calculated. If the initial estimates and the actual vote do not coincide, then an internal audit of that vote should occur. This may entail a recount. | ||
12. | The actual tabulation of votes is done in units which are then converted to shares. (It is very important that the Fund receives the tabulations stated in terms of a percentage and the number of shares.) Fidelity Legal must review and approve tabulation format. | ||
13. | Final tabulation in shares is verbally given by the Company to Fidelity Legal on the morning of the meeting not later than 10:00 a.m. Boston time. Fidelity Legal may request an earlier deadline if required to calculate the vote in time for the meeting. | ||
14. | A Certification of Mailing and Authorization to Vote Shares will be required from the Company as well as an original copy of the final vote. Fidelity Legal will provide a standard form for each Certification. | ||
15. | The Company will be required to box and archive the Cards received from the Customers. In the event that any vote is challenged or if otherwise necessary for legal, regulatory, or accounting purposes, Fidelity Legal will be permitted reasonable access to such Cards. | ||
16. | All approvals and “signing-off” may be done orally, but must always be followed up in writing. |
24
SCHEDULE C
Other investment companies currently available under variable annuities or variable life insurance
issued by the Company:
The Xxxxx American Fund
Quest for Value Accumulation Trust
X. Xxxx Price Fixed Income Series, Inc.
Xxx Xxx Worldwide Insurance Trust
X. Xxxx Price International Series, Inc.
Quest for Value Accumulation Trust
X. Xxxx Price Fixed Income Series, Inc.
Xxx Xxx Worldwide Insurance Trust
X. Xxxx Price International Series, Inc.
25