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DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
Agreement made as of the 20th day of March, 1995, by and between
IDS High Yield Tax-Exempt Fund, Inc. (the "Fund"), a Minnesota
corporation, for and on behalf of each class of the Fund and
American Express Financial Advisors Inc., a Delaware corporation.
Part One: DISTRIBUTION OF SECURITIES
(1) The Fund covenants and agrees that, during the term of this
agreement and any renewal or extension, American Express Financial
Advisors shall have the exclusive right to act as principal
underwriter for the Fund and to offer for sale and to distribute
either directly or through any affiliate any and all shares of each
class of capital stock issued or to be issued by the Fund.
(2) American Express Financial Advisors hereby covenants and
agrees to act as the principal underwriter of each class of capital
shares issued and to be issued by the Fund during the period of
this agreement and agrees during such period to offer for sale such
shares as long as such shares remain available for sale, unless
American Express Financial Advisors is unable or unwilling to make
such offer for sale or sales or solicitations therefor legally
because of any federal, state, provincial or governmental law, rule
or agency or for any financial reason.
(3) With respect to the offering for sale and sale of shares of
each class to be issued by the Fund, it is mutually understood and
agreed that such shares are to be sold on the following terms:
(a) All sales shall be made by means of an application, and
every application shall be subject to acceptance or rejection by
the Fund at its principal place of business. Shares are to be sold
for cash, payable at the time the application and payment for such
shares are received at the principal place of business of the Fund.
(b) No shares shall be sold at less than the asset value
(computed in the manner provided by the currently effective
prospectus or Statement of Additional Information and the
Investment Company Act of 1940, and rules thereunder). The number
of shares or fractional shares to be acquired by each applicant
shall be determined by dividing the amount of each accepted
application by the public offering price of one share of the
capital stock of the appropriate class as of the close of business
on the day when the application, together with payment, is received
by the Fund at its principal place of business. The computation as
to the number of shares and fractional shares shall be carried to
three decimal points of one share with the computation being
carried to the nearest 1/lOOOth of a share. If the day of receipt
of the application and payment is not a full business day, then the
asset value of the share for use in such computation shall be
determined as of the close of business on the next succeeding full
business day. In the event of a period of emergency, the
computation of the asset value for the purpose of determining the
number of shares or fractional shares to be acquired by the
applicant may be deferred until the close of business on the first
full business day following the termination of the period of
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emergency. A period of emergency shall have the definition given
thereto in the Investment Company Act of 1940, and rules
thereunder.
(4) The Fund agrees to make prompt and reasonable effort to do
any and all things necessary, in the opinion of American Express
Financial Advisors, to have and to keep the Fund and the shares
properly registered or qualified in all appropriate jurisdictions
and, as to shares, in such amounts as American Express Financial
Advisors may from time to time designate in order that the Fund's
shares may be offered or sold in such jurisdictions.
(5) The Fund agrees that it will furnish American Express
Financial Advisors with information with respect to the affairs and
accounts of the Fund, and in such form, as American Express
Financial Advisors may from time to time reasonably require and
further agrees that American Express Financial Advisors, at all
reasonable times, shall be permitted to inspect the books and
records of the Fund.
(6) American Express Financial Advisors or its agents may prepare
or cause to be prepared from time to time circulars, sales
literature, broadcast material, publicity data and other
advertising material to be used in the sales of shares issued by
the Fund, including material which may be deemed to be a prospectus
under rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission
(each separate promotional piece is referred to as an "Item of
Soliciting Material"). At its option, American Express Financial
Advisors may submit any Item of Soliciting Material to the Fund for
its prior approval. Unless a particular Item of Soliciting
Material is approved in writing by the Fund prior to its use,
American Express Financial Advisors agrees to indemnify the Fund
and its directors and officers against any and all claims, demands,
liabilities and expenses which the Fund or such persons may incur
arising out of or based upon the use of any Item of Soliciting
Material. The term "expenses" includes amounts paid in
satisfaction of judgments or in settlements. The foregoing right
of indemnification shall be in addition to any other rights to
which the Fund or any director or officer may be entitled as a
matter of law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, such indemnification
shall not be deemed to abrogate or diminish in any way any right or
claim American Express Financial Advisors may have against the Fund
or its officers or directors in connection with the Fund's
registration statement, prospectus, Statement of Additional
Information or other information furnished by or caused to be
furnished by the Fund.
(7) American Express Financial Advisors agrees to submit to the
Fund each application for shares immediately after the receipt of
such application and payment therefor by American Express Financial
Advisors at its principal place or business.
(8) American Express Financial Advisors agrees to cause to be
delivered to each person submitting an application a prospectus or
circular to be furnished by the Fund in the form required by the
applicable federal laws or by the acts or statutes of any
applicable state, province or country.
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(9) The Fund shall have the right to extend to shareholders of
each class the right to use the proceeds of any cash dividend paid
by the Fund to that shareholder to purchase shares of the same
class at the net asset value at the close of business upon the day
of purchase, to the extent set forth in the currently effective
prospectus or Statement of Additional Information.
(10) Shares of each class issued by the Fund may be offered and
sold at their asset value to the shareholders of the same class of
other funds in the IDS MUTUAL FUND GROUP who wish to exchange their
investments in shares of the other funds in the IDS MUTUAL FUND
GROUP to investments in shares of the Fund, to the extent set forth
in the currently effective prospectus or Statement of Additional
Information, such asset value to be computed as of the close of
business on the day of sale of such shares of the Fund.
(11) American Express Financial Advisors and the Fund agree to use
their best efforts to conform with all applicable state and federal
laws and regulations relating to any rights or obligations under
the term of this agreement.
Part Two: ALLOCATION OF EXPENSES
Except as provided by any other agreements between the parties,
American Express Financial Advisors covenants and agrees that
during the period of this agreement it will pay or cause or be paid
all expenses incurred by American Express Financial Advisors, or
any of its affiliates, in the offering for sale or sale of each
class of the Fund's shares.
Part Three: COMPENSATION
(1) It is covenanted and agreed that American Express Financial
Advisors shall be paid:
(i) for a class of shares imposing a front-end sales charge,
by the purchasers of Fund shares in an amount equal to the
difference between the total amount received upon each sale of
shares issued by the Fund and the asset value of such shares at the
time of such sale; and
(ii) for a class of shares imposing a deferred sales charge,
by owners of Fund shares at the time the sales charge is imposed in
an amount equal to any deferred sales charge, as described in the
Fund's prospectus.
Such sums as are received by the Fund shall be received as Agent
for American Express Financial Advisors and shall be remitted to
American Express Financial Advisors daily as soon as practicable
after receipt.
(2) The asset value of any share of each class of the Fund shall
be determined in the manner provided by the classes currently
effective prospectus and Statement of Additional Information and
the Investment Company Act of 1940, and rules thereunder.
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Part Four: MISCELLANEOUS
(1) American Express Financial Advisors shall be deemed to be an
independent contractor and, except as expressly provided or
authorized in this agreement, shall have no authority to act for or
represent the Fund.
(2) American Express Financial Advisors shall be free to render
to others services similar to those rendered under this agreement.
(3) Neither this agreement nor any transaction had pursuant
hereto shall be invalidated or in any way affected by the fact that
directors, officers, agents and/or shareholders of the Fund are or
may be interested in American Express Financial Advisors as
directors, officers, shareholders or otherwise; that directors,
officers, shareholders or agents of American Express Financial
Advisors are or may be interested in the Fund as directors,
officers, shareholders or otherwise; or that American Express
Financial Advisors is or may be interested in the Fund as
shareholder or otherwise, provided, however, that neither American
Express Financial Advisors nor any officer or director of American
Express Financial Advisors or any officers or directors of the Fund
shall sell to or buy from the Fund any property or security other
than a security issued by the Fund, except in accordance with a
rule, regulation or order of the federal Securities and Exchange
Commission.
(4) For the purposes of this agreement, a "business day" shall
have the same meaning as is given to the term in the By-laws of the
Fund.
(5) Any notice under this agreement shall be given in writing,
addressed and delivered, or mailed postpaid, to the parties to this
agreement at each company's principal place of business in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, or to such other address as either party
may designate in writing mailed to the other.
(6) American Express Financial Advisors agrees that no officer,
director or employee of American Express Financial Advisors will
deal for or on behalf of the Fund with himself as principal or
agent, or with any corporation or partnership in which he may have
a financial interest, except that this shall not prohibit:
(a) Officers, directors and employees of American Express
Financial Advisors from having a financial interest in the Fund or
in American Express Financial Advisors.
(b) The purchase of securities for the Fund, or the sale of
securities owned by the Fund, through a security broker or dealer,
one or more of whose partners, officers, directors or employees is
an officer, director or employee of American Express Financial
Advisors, provided such transactions are handled in the capacity of
broker only and provided commissions charged do not exceed
customary brokerage charges for such services.
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(c) Transactions with the Fund by a broker-dealer affiliate
of American Express Financial Advisors if allowed by rule or order
of the Securities and Exchange Commission and if made pursuant to
procedures adopted by the Fund's Board of Directors.
(7) American Express Financial Advisors agrees that, except as
otherwise provided in this agreement, or as may be permitted
consistent with the use of a broker-dealer affiliate of American
Express Financial Advisors under applicable provisions of the
federal securities laws, neither it nor any of its officers,
directors or employees shall at any time during the period of this
agreement make, accept or receive, directly or indirectly, any
fees, profits or emoluments of any character in connection with the
purchase or sale of securities (except securities issued by the
Fund) or other assets by or for the Fund.
Part Five: TERMINATION
(1) This agreement shall continue from year to year unless and
until terminated by American Express Financial Advisors or the
Fund, except that such continuance shall be specifically approved
at least annually by a vote of a majority of the Board of Directors
who are not parties to this agreement or interested persons of any
such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such approval, and by a majority of the Board of
Directors or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund. As used in this paragraph, the term
"interested person" shall have the meaning as set forth in the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(2) This agreement may be terminated by American Express
Financial Advisors or the Fund at any time by giving the other
party sixty (60) days written notice of such intention to
terminate.
(3) This agreement shall terminate in the event of its
assignment, the term "assignment" for this purpose having the same
meaning as set forth in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, The parties hereto have executed the foregoing
agreement on the date and year first above written.
IDS HIGH YIELD TAX-EXEMPT FUND, INC.
By _/s/ Xxxxxx X. Ogg__________________
Xxxxxx X. Xxx
Vice President
AMERICAN EXPRESS FINANCIAL ADVISORS INC.
By _/s/ Xxxxx X. Miller________________
Vice President
