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Exhibit 15(I) on Form N-1A
Exhibit 10 under Item 601/Reg S-K
RULE 12b-1 AGREEMENT
This Agreement is made between the Institution executing this Agreement
("Administrator") and Federated Securities Corp. ("FSC") for the mutual funds
(referred to individually as the "Fund" and collectively as the "Funds") for
which FSC serves as Distributor of shares of beneficial interest or capital
stock ("Shares") and which have adopted a Rule 12b-1 Plan ("Plan") and approved
this form of agreement pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act
of 1940. In consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter contained, it is
hereby agreed by and between the parties hereto as follows:
1. FSC hereby appoints Administrator to render or cause to be rendered sales
and/or administrative support services to the Funds and their
shareholders.
2. The services to be provided under Paragraph 1 may include, but are not
limited to, the following:
(a) communicating account openings through computer terminals located
on the Administrator's premises ("computer terminals"), through a
toll-free telephone number or otherwise;
(b) communicating account closings via the computer terminals, through a
toll-free telephone number or otherwise;
(c) entering purchase transactions through the computer terminals,
through a toll-free telephone number or otherwise;
(d) entering redemption transactions through the computer terminals,
through a toll-free telephone number or otherwise;
(e) electronically transferring and receiving funds for Fund Share
purchases and redemptions, and confirming and reconciling all such
transactions;
(f) reviewing the activity in Fund accounts;
(g) providing training and supervision of its personnel;
(h) maintaining and distributing current copies of prospectuses and
shareholder reports;
(i) advertising the availability of its services and products;
(j) providing assistance and review in designing materials to send to
customers and potential customers and developing methods of making
such materials accessible to customers and potential customers; and
(k) responding to customers' and potential customers' questions about
the Funds.
The services listed above are illustrative. The Administrator is not required
to perform each service and may at any time perform either more or fewer
services than described above.
3. During the term of this Agreement, FSC will pay the Administrator fees for
each Fund as set forth in a written schedule delivered to the
Administrator pursuant to this Agreement. FSC's fee schedule for
Administrator may be changed by FSC sending a new fee schedule to
Administrator pursuant to Paragraph 12 of this Agreement. For the payment
period in which this Agreement becomes effective or terminates, there
shall be an appropriate proration of the fee on the basis of the number of
days that the Rule 12b-1 Agreement is in effect during the quarter.
4. The Administrator will not perform or provide any duties which would cause
it to be a fiduciary under Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code, as
amended. For purposes of that Section, the Administrator understands that
any person who exercises any discretionary authority or discretionary
control with respect to any individual retirement account or its assets,
or who renders investment advice for a fee, or has any authority or
responsibility to do so, or has any discretionary authority or
discretionary responsibility in the administration of such an account, is
a fiduciary.
5. The Administrator understands that the Department of Labor views ERISA as
prohibiting fiduciaries of discretionary ERISA assets from receiving
administrative service fees or other compensation from funds in which the
fiduciary's discretionary ERISA assets are invested. To date, the
Department of Labor has not issued any exemptive order or advisory opinion
that would exempt fiduciaries from this interpretation. Without specific
authorization from the Department of Labor, fiduciaries should carefully
avoid investing discretionary assets in any fund pursuant to an
arrangement where the fiduciary is to be compensated by the fund for such
investment. Receipt of such compensation could violate ERISA provisions
against fiduciary self-dealing and conflict of interest and could subject
the fiduciary to substantial penalties.
6. The Administrator agrees not to solicit or cause to be solicited directly,
or indirectly at any time in the future, any proxies from the shareholders
of any or all of the Funds in opposition to proxies solicited by
management of the Fund or Funds, unless a court of competent jurisdiction
shall have determined that the conduct of a majority of the Board of
Directors of the Fund or Funds constitutes willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of their duties. This paragraph 6
will survive the term of this Agreement.
7. With respect to each Fund, this Agreement shall continue in effect for one
year from the date of its execution, and thereafter for successive periods
of one year if the form of this Agreement is approved at least annually by
the Directors of the Fund, including a majority of the members of the
Board of Directors of the Fund who are not interested persons of the Fund
and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the
Fund's Plan or in any related documents to the Plan ("Disinterested
Directors ") cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose.
8. Notwithstanding paragraph 7, this Agreement may be terminated as follows:
(a) at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the vote of a
majority of the Disinterested Directors of the Fund or by a vote of
a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund as
defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 on not more than sixty
(60) days' written notice to the parties to this Agreement;
(b) automatically in the event of the Agreement's assignment as defined
in the Investment Company Act of 1940 or upon the termination of the
"Administrative Support and Distributor's Contract" or
"Distributor's Contract" between the Fund and FSC; and
(c) by either party to the Agreement without cause by giving the other
party at least sixty (60) days' written notice of its intention to
terminate.
9. The termination of this Agreement with respect to any one Fund will not
cause the Agreement's termination with respect to any other Fund.
10. The Administrator agrees to obtain any taxpayer identification number
certification from its customers required under Section 3406 of the
Internal Revenue Code, and any applicable Treasury regulations, and to
provide FSC or its designee with timely written notice of any failure to
obtain such taxpayer identification number certification in order to
enable the implementation of any required backup withholding.
11. This Agreement supersedes any prior service agreements between the parties
for the Funds.
12. This Agreement may be amended by FSC from time to time by the
following procedure. FSC will mail a copy of the amendment to the
Administrator's address, as shown below. If the Administrator does not
object to the amendment within thirty (30) days after its receipt, the
amendment will become part of the Agreement. The Administrator's
objection must be in writing and be received by FSC within such thirty
days.
13. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the Laws of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
SouthTrust Securities, Inc.
Address
City State Zip Code
Dated:______________ By:
Authorized Signature
Title
_________________________________
Print Name of Authorized Signature
FEDERATED SECURITIES CORP.
Federated Investors Tower
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-3779
By:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, President
SouthTrust Vulcan Funds
EXHIBIT A to 12b-1 Agreement with
Federated Securities Corp. ("FSC")
Portfolios
FSC will pay Administrator fees for the following portfolios (the "Funds")
effective as of the dates set forth below:
Name Date
Income Fund September 1, 1995
Administrative Fees
1. During the term of this Agreement, FSC will pay Administrator a quarterly
fee in respect of each Fund. This fee will be computed at the annual rate
of .25% of the average net asset value of Shares held during the quarter
in accounts for which the Administrator provides services under this
Agreement, so long as the average net asset value of Shares in each Fund
during the quarter equals or exceeds such minimum amount as FSC shall from
time to time determine and communicate in writing to the Administrator.
2. For the quarterly period in which the Agreement becomes effective or
terminates, there shall be an appropriate proration of any fee payable on
the basis of the number of days that the Agreement is in effect during the
quarter.
