PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT Among Security Benefit Life Insurance Company, Transparent Value Trust, and Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC
Among
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company,
Transparent Value Trust,
and
Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC
THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of the 16th day of April, 2014, by and among Security Benefit Life Insurance Company, (the “Company”), a stock life insurance company organized under the laws of the State of Kansas, on its own behalf and on behalf of each segregated asset account of the Company currently in existence or hereafter created, as set forth on Schedule A hereto, which may be updated from time to time for the convenience of the parties by written agreement among the parties, (each an “Account”), Transparent Value Trust (the “Fund”), a Delaware statutory trust, and Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), a Delaware limited liability company.
WHEREAS, the shares of beneficial interest/common stock of the Fund are divided into several series of shares, each representing the interest in a particular managed portfolio of securities and other assets, certain of which are set forth on Schedule A hereto (each a “Portfolio”); and
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) and shares of the Portfolios are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”); and
WHEREAS, the Portfolios are available to act as the investment vehicle for separate accounts established for variable life insurance policies and/or variable annuity contracts to be offered by insurance companies which have entered into participation agreements with the Fund (hereinafter “Participating Insurance Companies”); and
WHEREAS, the Adviser, which serves as investment adviser to the Fund, is duly registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended; and
WHEREAS, the Company has issued or will issue certain variable annuity contracts supported wholly or partially by the Accounts (the “Contracts”), and said Contracts are listed in Schedule A hereto, which may be updated with notice to the Fund from time to time for convenience of the parties; and
WHEREAS, each Account is duly established and maintained as a segregated asset account, duly established by the Company, to set aside and invest assets attributable to the aforesaid Contracts; and
WHEREAS, the Company intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios of the Fund on behalf of the Accounts to fund the aforesaid Contracts;
WHEREAS, the Fund is able to rely on an order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (hereinafter the “SEC”) 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 Portfolios to be sold to and held by variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of life insurance companies that may or may not be affiliated with one another, qualified pension and retirement plans and other qualified persons and entities as defined in Treas. Reg. §1.817-5(3)(iii) (hereinafter the “Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order”).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Company, the Fund and the Adviser agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. Sale of Fund Shares
1.1. Subject to Article X hereof, the Fund agrees to make available to the Company for purchase on behalf of the Accounts, shares of the Portfolios, such purchases to be effected at net asset value in accordance with Section 1.3 of this Agreement and the Fund’s then-current prospectus. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the Fund’s series (other than the Portfolios listed on Schedule A) in existence now or that may be established in the future will be made available to the Company only as the Fund may so provide, and (ii) the Board of Trustees of the Fund (the “Board”) may suspend or terminate the offering of shares of any Portfolio or class thereof, or liquidate any Portfolio or class thereof, if such action is required by law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction or if, in the sole discretion of the Board acting in good faith, such suspension or termination is necessary and in the best interests of the shareholders of such Portfolio. The Fund will notify the Company of the Board taking any of the foregoing actions with respect to a Portfolio or class thereof at the same time it notifies other investors in the Portfolio or such other class. All orders received by the Fund shall be subject to the terms of the then current prospectus of the Fund, including the Fund’s excessive trading policies.
The Company acknowledges that the Fund may reject or refuse orders for the sale of shares with respect to customers for which the Company serves as nominee if the Company has not adopted and does not implement anti-money laundering policies and procedures as required by the USA Patriot Act or as necessary for the Fund or its distributor to comply with either’s internal policies, the USA Patriot Act and relevant rules and regulations, as applicable.
1.2. The Fund shall redeem, at the Company’s request, any full or fractional Portfolio shares held by the Company on behalf of the Accounts, such redemptions to be effected at net asset value in accordance with Section 1.3 of this Agreement and the Fund’s then-current prospectus. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fund may delay redemption of Fund shares of any Portfolio to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, and any rules, regulations or orders thereunder. The Company will establish individual accounts on its record-keeping system reflecting all transactions by or on behalf of each Contract owner which result in purchases or redemptions by that Contract owner of shares of a Portfolio. If a clearing corporation is used to place and settle trades, the Company will promptly advise the Fund or its designee in writing of any discrepancies between the Company's records and the balances in the clearing corporation’s account.
1.3. Purchase and Redemption Procedures
(a) The Fund hereby appoints the Company as an agent of the Fund for the limited purpose of receiving and accepting purchase and redemption requests on behalf of the Accounts (but not with respect to any Fund shares that may be held in the general account of the Company) for shares of those Portfolios made available hereunder, based on allocations of amounts to the Accounts or subaccounts thereof under the Contracts and other transactions relating to the Contracts or the Accounts. Receipt and acceptance of any such request (or relevant transactional information therefore) on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which a Portfolio calculates its net asset value pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as stated in the Fund’s then-current prospectus
(each, a “Business Day”), by the Company as such limited agent of the Fund prior to the time that the Fund ordinarily calculates its net asset value as described from time to time in the Fund’s prospectus shall constitute receipt and acceptance by the Portfolio on that same Business Day, provided that the Fund or its designated agent receives notice of such request by 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the next following Business Day. The Company agrees to promptly date-stamp instructions received from or on behalf of Contract owners for purposes of determining the price at which the orders will be effected in accordance with industry standard transaction procedures implemented by the Company. The Company shall maintain records sufficient to identify the date and time of receipt of all Contract owner transactions involving a Portfolio (including all reinvestments of dividends and capital gains distributions paid by a Portfolio). Under no circumstances will the Company change, alter or manipulate any trade instruction received by it in good order.
(b) The Company shall pay for shares of each Portfolio on the same Business Day that it notifies the Fund of a purchase request for such shares. Payment for Portfolio shares shall be made in federal funds transmitted to the Fund or other designated person by wire to be received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the Business Day the Fund is notified of the purchase request for Portfolio shares (unless the Fund determines and so advises the Company that sufficient proceeds are available from redemption of shares of other Portfolios effected pursuant to redemption requests tendered by the Company on behalf of the Accounts, or unless the Fund otherwise determines and so advises the Company to delay the date of payment, to the extent the Fund may do so under the 1940 Act). If federal funds are not received on time, such funds will be invested, and Portfolio shares purchased thereby will be issued, as soon as practicable and the Company shall promptly, upon the Fund’s request, reimburse the Fund for any charges, costs, fees, interest or other expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with any advances to, or borrowing or overdrafts by, the Fund, or any similar expenses incurred by the Fund, as a result of portfolio transactions effected by the Fund based upon such purchase request. Upon receipt of federal funds so wired, such funds shall cease to be the responsibility of the Company and shall become the responsibility of the Fund.
(c) Payment for Portfolio shares redeemed by the Accounts or the Company shall be made by the Fund in federal funds transmitted by wire to the Company or any other designated person by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the same Business Day the Fund is properly notified of the redemption order of such shares (unless redemption proceeds are to be applied to the purchase of shares of other Portfolios in accordance with Section 1.3(b) of this Agreement), except that the Fund reserves the right to delay payment of redemption proceeds to the extent permitted under Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act and any rules thereunder, and in accordance with the procedures and policies of the Fund as described in the then-current prospectus. Neither the Advisor nor the Fund shall bear any responsibility whatsoever for the proper disbursement or crediting of redemption proceeds by the Company to the Accounts; the Company alone shall be responsible for such action.
Any purchase or redemption request for Portfolio shares held or to be held in the Company’s general account shall be effected at the net asset value per share next determined after the Fund’s receipt and acceptance of such request, provided that, in the case of a purchase request, payment for Fund shares so requested is received by the Fund in federal funds prior to close of business for determination of such value, as defined from time to time in the Fund’s prospectus.
If the Company prevents Contract owners from allocating payments to a Portfolio that is otherwise available under the Contracts, the Company will notify the Fund of such action.
1.4. The Fund shall use its commercially reasonable best efforts to make the net asset value per share for each Portfolio available to the Company by 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time each Business Day, and in any event, as soon as reasonably practicable after the net asset value per share for such Portfolio is calculated, and shall calculate such net asset value in accordance with the Fund’s prospectus. Except under
the circumstances set forth below, if the Fund provides the Company with materially incorrect share net asset value information, the Company on behalf of the Accounts, shall be entitled to an adjustment to the number of shares purchased or redeemed to reflect the correct share net asset value. Any material error in the calculation of the net asset value per share, dividend or capital gain information (such determination to be made by the Fund in good faith and in accordance with the Fund’s net asset value error correction policy) shall be reported promptly to Company upon discovery. Any material pricing error shall be corrected by the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s net asset value error correction policy, which will comply in all material respects with applicable law. In the event that any such material pricing error is the result of the gross negligence of the Fund, or its designated agent for calculating the net asset value, any administrative or other reasonable costs or losses incurred for correcting underlying Contract owner accounts shall be at the Adviser’s expense.
1.5. The Fund shall use its commercially reasonable best efforts to furnish notice (by wire or telephone followed by written confirmation) to the Company of any income dividends or capital gain distributions payable on any Portfolio shares by the record date, but in no event later than 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the ex-dividend date. The Company, on its behalf and on behalf of the Accounts, hereby elects to receive all such dividends and distributions as are payable on any Portfolio shares in the form of additional shares of that Portfolio. The Company reserves the right, on its behalf and on behalf of the Accounts, to revoke this election and to receive all such dividends and capital gain distributions in cash. The Fund shall notify the Company promptly of the number of Portfolio shares so issued as payment of such dividends and distributions.
1.6. Issuance and transfer of Fund shares shall be by book entry only. Share certificates will not be issued to the Company or the Accounts. Purchase and redemption orders for Fund shares shall be recorded in an appropriate ledger for the Accounts or the appropriate subaccount of the Accounts.
1.7. (a) The parties hereto acknowledge that the arrangement contemplated by this Agreement is not exclusive; the Fund’s shares may be sold to other insurance companies and the cash value of the Contracts may be invested in other investment companies; provided, however, that until this Agreement is terminated pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company shall promote the Portfolios on the same basis as other funding vehicles available under the Contracts.
(b) The Company shall not, without prior notice to the Adviser (unless otherwise required by applicable law), take any action to operate the Accounts as a management investment company under the 1940 Act.
(c) The Company shall not, without prior notice to the Adviser (unless otherwise required by applicable law), induce Contract owners to change or modify the Fund or change or remove the Fund’s investment adviser.
(d) The Company shall not, without prior notice to the Fund, induce Contract owners to vote on any matter submitted for consideration by the shareholders of the Fund in a manner other than as recommended by the Board.
1.8. The parties may agree, in lieu of the procedures set forth above in this Article 1, to place and settle trades for Fund shares through a clearing corporation. In the event that such a clearing corporation is used, the parties agree to abide by the rules of the clearing corporation.
1.9. The Company acknowledges that, pursuant to Form 24F-2, the Fund is not required to pay fees to the SEC for registration of its shares under the 1933 Act with respect to its shares issued to an Account that is a unit investment trust that offers interests that are registered under the 1933 Act and on
which a registration fee has been or will be paid to the SEC (a “Registered Account”). The Company agrees to provide the Fund or its agent each year within 60 days of the end of the Fund’s fiscal year, or when reasonably requested by the Fund, information as to the number of shares purchased by a Registered Account and any other Account the interests of which are not registered under the 0000 Xxx. The Company acknowledges that the Fund intends to rely on the information so provided.
ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties
2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts (a) are, or prior to issuance will be, registered under the 1933 Act, or (b) are not registered because they are properly exempt from registration under the 1933 Act or will be offered exclusively in transactions that are properly exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. The Company further represents and warrants that the Contracts will be issued and sold in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal securities and state securities and insurance laws. The Company further represents and warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in good standing under applicable law, that it has legally and validly established the Accounts as segregated asset accounts under Kansas insurance laws, and that it (a) has registered or, prior to any issuance or sale of the Contracts, will register the Accounts as unit investment trusts in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as segregated investment accounts for the Contracts, or alternatively (b) has not registered the Accounts in proper reliance upon an exclusion from registration under the 1940 Act. The Company further represents and warrants that (i) the sale of the Contracts shall comply in all material respects with state insurance suitability requirements; and (ii) the information provided pursuant to Section 1.9 shall be accurate in all material respects. The Company shall register and qualify the Contracts or interests therein as securities in accordance with the laws of the various states only if and to the extent required by applicable law.
2.2. The Company represents and warrants, for purposes other than diversification under Section 817 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended (the “Code”), that the Contracts are currently and at the time of issuance will be treated as annuity contracts or life insurance policies under applicable provisions of the Code, and that it will maintain such treatment and that it will notify the Fund and the Adviser 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. In addition, the Company represents and warrants that each Account is a “segregated asset account” and that interests in each Account are offered exclusively through the purchase of or transfer into a “variable contract” within the meaning of such terms under Section 817 of the Code and the regulations thereunder. The Company will continue to meet such definitional requirements, and it will notify the Fund and the Adviser immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that such requirements have ceased to be met or that they might not be met in the future. The Company represents and warrants that it will not purchase Fund shares with assets derived from tax-qualified retirement plans except, indirectly, through Contracts purchased in connection with such plans.
2.3. The Company represents and warrants that all of its directors, officers, employees, and other individuals/entities employed or controlled by the Company dealing with the money and/or securities of an Account are covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage for the benefit of the Accounts, in an amount not less than $5 million. The aforesaid bond includes coverage for larceny and embezzlement and is issued by a reputable bonding company. The Company agrees to hold for the benefit of the Fund and to pay to the Fund any amounts lost from larceny, embezzlement or other events covered by the aforesaid bond to the extent such amounts properly belong to the Fund pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. 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 in the event that such coverage no longer applies.
2.4. The Company represents and warrants that it is currently in compliance, and will remain in compliance, with all applicable anti-money laundering laws, regulations, and requirements. In addition, the Company represents and warrants that it has adopted and implemented policies and procedures reasonably designed to achieve compliance with the applicable requirements administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Company agrees to provide the Adviser, the Fund or its distributor with such information as it may reasonably request, including but not limited to the filling out of questionnaires, attestations and other documents, to enable the Adviser, the Fund or distributor to fulfill its obligations under applicable law.
2.5. The Company represents and warrants that it is currently in compliance, and will remain in compliance, with all applicable laws, rules and regulations relating to consumer privacy, including, but not limited to, Regulation S-P.
2.6. The Company represents and warrants that it has adopted, and will at all times during the term of this Agreement maintain, reasonable and appropriate procedures (“Late Trading Procedures”) reasonably designed to ensure that any and all orders relating to the purchase, sale or exchange of Fund shares communicated to the Fund to be treated in accordance with Article I of this Agreement as having been received on a Business Day, have been received by the Valuation Time on such Business Day and were not modified after the Valuation Time, and that all orders received from Contract owners but not rescinded by the Valuation Time were communicated to the Fund or its agent as received for that Business Day. “Valuation Time” shall mean 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on a Business Day or such other time as of which the Fund calculates net asset value for the shares of the Portfolios on the relevant Business Day, as disclosed in the then current prospectus(es) of the Fund.
2.7. Each transmission of orders by the Company shall constitute a representation by the Company that such orders are accurate and complete and relate to orders received by the Company by the Valuation Time on the Business Day for which the order is to be priced and that such transmission includes all orders relating to Fund shares received from Contract owners but not rescinded by the Valuation Time. The Company agrees to provide the Fund or its designee with a copy of the Late Trading Procedures and such certifications and representations regarding the Late Trading Procedures as the Fund or its designee may reasonably request. The Company will promptly notify the Fund in writing of any material change to the Late Trading Procedures.
2.8. The Fund represents and warrants that Portfolio shares sold pursuant to this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, shall be duly authorized for issuance and sold in compliance with applicable state and federal 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.
2.9. The Fund represents and warrants that it is lawfully organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware and that it does and will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act, including, without limitation, Rule 38a-1 under the 0000 Xxx.
2.10. The Adviser represents and warrants that it is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC and that it does and will comply in all material respects with the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, including, without limitation, Rule 206(4)-7 under the Investment Advisers Act.
2.11. The Fund and the Adviser represent and warrant that all of their trustees/directors, officers, employees, and other individuals or 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 minimum coverage as required currently by Rule 17g-1 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.
ARTICLE III. Prospectuses and Proxy Statements; Voting
3.1. The Fund shall provide the Company with as many printed copies of the current prospectus, current Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), supplements, proxy statements, and annual or semi-annual reports of each Portfolio as the Company may reasonably request, with expenses to be borne in accordance with Schedule B hereof. If requested by the Company in lieu thereof, the Fund shall provide such documents (including a print-ready PDF, or an electronic copy of the documents in a format suitable for printing and posting on the Company’s website, all as the Company may reasonably request) and such other assistance as is reasonably necessary in order for the Company to have prospectuses, SAIs, supplements and annual or semi-annual reports for the Contracts and the Fund printed together in a single document or posted on the Company’s web-site or printed individually by the Company if it so chooses. Regardless of which procedure is followed, the Company shall be responsible for forwarding such documents to the applicable Contract owners as required by applicable law
3.2. The Fund’s prospectus shall state that the current SAI for the Fund is available.
3.3. The Fund shall provide the Company with information regarding the Fund’s expenses, which information may include a table of fees and related narrative disclosure for use in any prospectus or other descriptive document relating to a Contract. The Company agrees that it will use such information substantially in the form provided. The Company shall provide prior written notice of any proposed modification of such information, which notice will describe the manner in which the Company proposes to modify the information, and agrees that it may not modify such information in any way without the prior consent of the Fund, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
3.4. So long as, and to the extent the SEC continues to interpret the 1940 Act to require pass-through voting privileges for variable contract owners, or to the extent otherwise required by law, the Company shall , at the Company’s option, follow one of the two methods described below to provide pass-through voting privileges to contract owners:
(a) Provide a list of Contract owners with value allocated to a Portfolio as of the record date to the Fund or its agent in the form required by the Fund or its agent in order to permit the Fund to send solicitation material and gather voting instructions from Contract owners on behalf of the Company. In the event that the Company chooses this option, (a) the Fund shall be responsible for properly “echo voting” shares of a Portfolio for which no voting instructions have been received; and the Company shall provide the Fund or its agent all information reasonably necessary in order for the Fund or its agent to send solicitation material to and gather voting instructions from Contract owners and to properly tabulate votes, including “echo votes,” for Fund initiated proxies.
(b) Solicit voting instructions from Contract holders itself and vote shares of the Portfolios in accordance with instructions received from Contract holders. The Company shall vote the shares of the Portfolios for which no instructions have been received in the same proportion as shares of the Portfolio for which instructions have been received.
3.5. The Company shall vote Portfolio shares held in its general account or otherwise in the same proportion as Portfolio shares for which instructions have been received from Contract owners, so long as and to the extent that the SEC continues to interpret the 1940 Act to require such voting by the
insurance company. However, the Company reserves the right to vote Fund shares held in its general account in its own right, to the extent permitted by applicable laws.
3.6. If the Fund and the Company agree to distribute Fund summary prospectuses to Contract owners pursuant to Rule 498 of the 1933 Act, as set forth in Schedule C of this Agreement, then each party to the Agreement represents and warrants that it complies with the requirements of Rule 498 and applicable SEC guidance regarding the Rule in connection therewith, and that it maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that it can meet its obligations in connection with Fund summary prospectuses. The parties agree to comply with the terms included in the attached Schedule C as of the effective date of this Agreement.
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 that the Company develops and in which the Fund (or a Portfolio thereof) or the Adviser or the Fund’s distributor is named. No such material shall be used until approved by the Adviser, the Fund or its designee (as applicable), and the Fund or Adviser (as applicable) will use its best efforts for it or its designee to review such sales literature or promotional material within seven (7) Business Days after receipt of such material. Materials not approved or disapproved within seven (7) Business Days shall be deemed approved. The Adviser, the Fund or its designee (as applicable) reserves the right to reasonably object to the continued use of any such sales literature or other promotional material in which the Fund (or a Portfolio thereof) or the Adviser or the Fund’s distributor is named, and no such material shall be used if the Fund or its designee so objects.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any representations or statements on behalf of the Adviser or the Fund or concerning the Fund or the Adviser or the Fund’s distributor in connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the information or representations contained in the registration statement or prospectus or SAI for the Fund shares, as such registration statement and prospectus or SAI 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 Adviser, the Fund or its designee, except with the permission of the Fund or its designee.
4.3. The Fund and the Adviser, or their designee, shall furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Company, each piece of sales literature or other promotional material that it develops and in which the Company, and/or one of the Accounts, is named. No such material shall be used until approved by the Company, and the Company will use its best efforts to review such sales literature or promotional material within seven (7) Business Days after receipt of such material. Materials not approved or disapproved within seven (7) Business Days shall be deemed approved. The Company reserves the right to reasonably object to the continued use of any such sales literature or other promotional material in which the Company and/or its Accounts are named, and no such material shall be used if the Company so objects.
4.4. The Fund shall not give any information or make any representations on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company, the Accounts, or the Contracts other than the information or representations contained in a registration statement, prospectus (which shall include an offering memorandum, if any, if the Contracts issued by the Company or interests therein are not registered under the 1933 Act), or SAI for the Contracts, as such registration statement, prospectus, or SAI may be amended or supplemented from time to time, or in published reports for the Accounts 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, except with the permission of the Company.
4.5. Upon request, the Fund will provide to the Company at least one complete copy of all registration statements, prospectuses, SAIs, 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 Portfolios or their shares, after the filing of such document(s) with the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
4.6. Upon request, the Company will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy of all registration statements, prospectuses (which shall include an offering memorandum, if any, if the Contracts issued by the Company or interests therein are not registered under the 1933 Act), SAIs, 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 the Accounts, after the filing of such document(s) with the SEC or other regulatory authorities. The Company shall provide to the Fund and the Adviser any complaints received from the Contract owners pertaining to the Fund or a Portfolio.
4.7. The Fund will provide the Company with as much notice as is reasonably practicable of any material change in the Fund’s registration statement relating to a Portfolio, particularly any change resulting in a change to the registration statement or prospectus for any Account. The Fund will make reasonable efforts to attempt to have changes affecting Contract prospectuses become effective simultaneously with the annual updates for such prospectuses.
ARTICLE V. Fees and Expenses
5.1. The Fund and the Adviser shall pay no fee or other compensation to the Company under this Agreement; provided, however, the parties may enter into other agreements relating to the Company’s investment in the Fund, including agreements for distribution and/or shareholder services, that provide for compensation, such as Rule 12b-1 fees and/or shareholder service fees, to be paid to the Company if, and in amounts, agreed upon by the parties.
5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the parties under this Agreement shall be paid in accordance with Schedule B hereof.
ARTICLE VI. Qualification
6.1. The Fund will invest its assets in such a manner as to ensure that the Contracts will be treated as annuity or life insurance contracts, whichever is appropriate, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”) and the regulations issued thereunder (or any successor provisions). Without limiting the scope of the foregoing, each Portfolio represents and warrants that it has complied and will continue to comply with Section 817(h) of the Code and Treasury Regulation §1.817-5, and any Treasury interpretations thereof, relating to the diversification requirements for variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance contracts, and any amendments or other modifications or successor provisions 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 the Company of such breach and (b) to adequately diversify the Fund so as to achieve compliance within the grace period afforded by Regulation 1.817-5.
6.2. The Fund represents and warrants that it is qualified as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code and that it will maintain such qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar provisions) 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.
6.3. The Company represents that the Contracts are currently, and at the time of issuance shall be, treated as life insurance or annuity insurance contracts, under applicable provisions of the Code, and that it will maintain such treatment, and that it will notify the Fund immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing the Contracts have ceased to be so treated or that they might not be so treated in the future. The Company agrees that any prospectus offering a contract that is a “modified endowment contract” as that term is defined in Section 7702A of the Code (or any successor or similar provision), shall identify such contract as a modified endowment contract.
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 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 by contract owners of different Participating Insurance Companies; or (f) a decision by a Participating Insurance Company 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.
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 Mixed and 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 to be disregarded.
7.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Board, or a majority of its directors who are not interested persons of the Fund, the Fund’s distributor, the Fund’s investments adviser or any subadviser to any of the Portfolios (the “Independent Directors”), 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 Independent Directors), 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 assets in a different investment medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio, 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 an Account’s investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement at the Company’s expense; 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 Independent Directors. 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 Fund’s distributor and the Fund shall continue
to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Fund, subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Fund’s then-current prospectus.
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 an Account’s investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement within six months after the Fund 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 Independent Directors. Until the end of the foregoing six-month period, the Fund shall continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Portfolios, subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Fund’s then-current prospectus.
7.6. For purposes of Sections 7.3 through 7.5 of this Agreement, a majority of the Independent Directors shall determine whether any proposed action adequately 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 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 an Account’s investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement within six (6) months after the Fund 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 Independent Directors.
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 1940 Act or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding (as defined in the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions materially different from those contained in the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order, then (a) the Fund and/or the Company, 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, 3.7, 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
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Fund and the Adviser and each of its trustees/directors and officers, and each person, if any, who controls the Fund or Adviser within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or who is under common control with the Fund or the Adviser (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties” for purposes of this Section 8.1) against any and all losses, expenses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the Company) or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statements of any material fact contained in the registration statement, prospectus (which shall include a written description of a Contract that is not registered under the 1933 Act), or SAI for the
Contracts or contained in the Contracts or sales literature or other promotional materials 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 or the Adviser for use in the registration statement, prospectus or SAI for the Contracts or in the Contracts or sales literature or other promotional materials (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Portfolios’ 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, SAI, or sales literature or other promotional materials of the Fund not supplied by the Company or persons under its control) or wrongful conduct of the Company or its agents or persons under the Company’s authorization or control, with respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or Portfolios’ shares, or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a registration statement, prospectus, SAI, or sales literature or other promotional materials 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 for use in the registration statement, prospectus or SAI of the Fund or in sales literature or other promotional materials for the Fund; or
(iv) arise as a result of any material failure by the Company to provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement (including a failure of the Company, whether unintentional or in good faith or otherwise, to comply with the qualification requirements specified in Article VI and its representations and warranties in Sections 2.1 and 2.2 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.
(b) The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any losses, expenses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of such Indemnified Party’s willful misfeasance, fraud, 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 its obligations or duties under this Agreement.
(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 an Indemnified Party, 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 reasonably 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 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. Should the Company assume the defense, it shall not agree to any plea, judgment, settlement or other agreement without the written consent of the Indemnified Party.
(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 Adviser
(a) The Adviser 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, expenses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the Adviser) or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements occur while the Advisor serves as investment advisor to the Fund 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 SAI or sales literature or other promotional materials 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 Adviser or Fund by or on behalf of the Company for use in the registration statement, prospectus or SAI for the Fund or in sales literature or other promotional materials (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Portfolios’ shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations by the Fund or the Adviser (other than statements or representations contained in the registration statement, prospectus, SAI or sales literature or other promotional materials for the Contracts not supplied by the Fund or the Adviser) or wrongful conduct of the Adviser or the Fund with respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or Portfolios’ shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a registration statement, prospectus, SAI or sales literature or other promotional materials covering the Contracts, 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 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 Adviser or the Fund for use in the registration statement, prospectus or SAI covering the Contracts or in sales literature or other promotional materials for the Contracts; or
(iv) arise as a result of any material failure by the Fund or the Adviser to provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement (including a failure of the Fund, whether unintentional or in good faith or otherwise, to comply with the diversification and other qualification 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 Adviser or the Fund in this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Adviser or the Fund;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.2(b) and 8.2(c) hereof.
(b) The Adviser 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, fraud, 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 or the Accounts, whichever is applicable.
(c) The Adviser 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 Adviser 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 Adviser of any such claim shall not relieve the Adviser 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 Party, the Adviser will be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Adviser also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice from the Adviser to such party of the Adviser’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 Adviser 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. Should the Adviser assume the defense, it shall not agree to any plea, judgment, settlement or other agreement without the written consent of the Indemnified Party.
(d) The Company agrees promptly to notify the Adviser 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 the Account.
8.3. Indemnification by the Fund
(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, expenses, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the Fund) or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may be required to pay or may become subject under any statute or
regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, expenses, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements, are related to the operations of the Fund 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 SAI or sales literature or other promotional materials 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 Adviser or Fund by or on behalf of the Company for use in the registration statement, prospectus or SAI for the Fund or in sales literature or other promotional materials (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Portfolios’ shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations by the Fund (other than statements or representations contained in the registration statement, prospectus, SAI or sales literature or other promotional materials for the Contracts not supplied by the Fund) or wrongful conduct of the Fund with respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or Portfolios’ shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a registration statement, prospectus, SAI or sales literature or other promotional materials covering the Contracts, 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 statement or statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Company by the Fund for use in the registration statement, prospectus or SAI covering the Contracts or in sales literature or other promotional materials for the Contracts; or
(iv) arise as a result of any material 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 and other qualification 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 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.
(b) The Fund 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, fraud, 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 or the Accounts, whichever is applicable.
(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 reasonably 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. Should the Fund assume the defense, it shall not agree to any plea, judgment, settlement or other agreement without the written consent of the Indemnified Party.
(d) The Company agrees promptly to notify the Fund of the commencement of any litigation or proceeding against it or any of its respective officers or directors in connection with the Agreement, the issuance or sale of the Contracts, the operation of the Accounts, 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 State of Kansas, without regard to the conflict of laws provisions thereof.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933 and 1940 Acts as well as the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder, including such exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the SEC may grant, and the terms hereof shall be interpreted and construed in accordance therewith. If, in the future, the Mixed and Shared Funding Order should no longer be necessary under applicable law, then Article VII hereof shall no longer apply.
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 with respect to some or all Portfolios, by six (6) months advance written notice delivered to the other parties; or
(b) termination by the Company by written notice to the other parties based upon the Company’s determination that shares of the Fund are not reasonably available to meet the requirements of the Contracts; or
(c) termination by the Company by written notice to the other parties 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 Fund or Adviser by written notice to the Company in the event that formal administrative proceedings are instituted against the Company by FINRA, the SEC, the insurance commissioner or like official of any state or any other regulatory body regarding the Company’s duties under this Agreement or related to the sale of the Contracts, the operation of any Account, or the purchase of the Portfolios’ shares; provided, however, that the Fund or Adviser determines
in its sole judgment exercised in good faith, that any such administrative proceedings will have a material adverse effect upon the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement; or
(e) termination by the Company by written notice to the other parties in the event that formal administrative proceedings are instituted against the Fund or Adviser by the SEC or any state securities department or any other regulatory body; provided, however, that the Company determines in its sole judgment exercised in good faith, that any such administrative proceedings will have a material adverse effect upon the ability of the Fund or Adviser to perform its obligations under this Agreement; or
(f) termination by the Company by written notice to the other parties in the event that any Portfolio ceases to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M or fails to comply with the Section 817(h) diversification requirements specified in Article VI hereof, or if the Company reasonably believes that any such Portfolio may fail to so qualify or comply with either provision; or
(g) termination by either the Fund or the Adviser by written notice to the other parties, if either one or both of the Fund or the Adviser, respectively, shall determine, in their sole judgment exercised in good faith, that the Company 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 Company by written notice to the other parties, if the Company shall determine, in its sole judgment exercised in good faith, that the Fund or the Adviser 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
(i) termination by the Company upon any substitution of the shares of another investment company or series thereof for shares of a Portfolio of the Fund in accordance with the terms of the Contracts, provided that the Company has given at least 45 days prior written notice to the Fund and Adviser of the date of substitution; or
(j) termination by the Fund by written notice to the Company upon receipt by the Fund or Adviser of the Company’s substitution notice as provided in paragraph (i) above, provided, however, any termination under this Section 10.1(j) shall be effective forty-five days after the notice specified in Section 10.1(i) was given; or
(k) termination by the Fund or Adviser by written notice to the Company in the event that the Contracts fail to meet the qualifications specified in Article VI hereof, or if the Fund or Adviser reasonably believes that the Contracts may fail to so qualify; or
(l) termination by any party in the event that the Fund’s Board determines that a material irreconcilable conflict exists as provided in Article VII; or
(m) termination by the Adviser by written notice to the Company in the event of Adviser ceasing to serve as investment adviser to the Fund, or as to any Portfolio, in the event of Adviser ceasing to serve as investment adviser to that Portfolio.
10.2. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the Fund and the Adviser shall, at the option of the Company, continue to make available additional shares of the Portfolios 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”), unless the Company seeks an order pursuant to Section 26(b) of the 1940 Act to permit the substitution of other securities for the shares of the Portfolios. Specifically, the owners of the Existing Contracts shall be permitted to reallocate investments
in the Portfolios, redeem investments in the Portfolios and/or invest in the Portfolios upon the making of additional purchase payments under the Existing Contracts (subject to any such election by the Company). In such event, the Company shall continue to serve as an agent of the Fund for the limited purpose of receiving instructions from the owners of the Existing Contracts with respect to purchase and redemption orders for shares of the Portfolios and transmitting corresponding orders to the Fund and/or its agent in accordance with this Agreement.
10.3. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, each party’s obligations under Article VIII to indemnify the other parties shall survive. The parties further agree that, to the extent that all or a portion of the assets of the Accounts continue to be invested in a Portfolio, Articles I, II, VII and IX and Article 12.9 will remain in effect after termination. In addition, Article 12.2 shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the above mentioned provisions shall terminate with respect to the Adviser upon it ceasing to serve as investment adviser to the Fund.
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 Company:
|
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company
Attention: General Counsel
One Security Benefit Place
Topeka, Kansas 66636-0001
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If to the Fund:
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Transparent Value Trust
Attn: Xxxxx Xxxx
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
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If to Adviser:
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Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, XX 00000
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ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous
12.1. All persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the property of the respective Portfolios listed on Schedule A hereto as though each such Portfolio had separately contracted with the Company and the Adviser for the enforcement of any claims against the Fund. The parties agree that neither the Board, officers, agents or shareholders of the Fund assume any personal liability or responsibility for obligations entered into by or on behalf of the Fund.
12.2. Subject to the requirements of legal process and regulatory authority, the Fund and the Adviser shall treat as confidential the names and addresses of the owners of the Contracts. Subject to the requirements of legal process and regulatory authority, each party shall treat as confidential 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 information without the express written consent of the affected party until such time as such information has come into the public domain. This provision shall not apply to information in a party’s possession that has been lawfully obtained from other sources
or independently developed by such party without reference to or reliance on information obtained from any other party hereto.
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, FINRA, and state insurance 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 Kansas 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 variable insurance operations of the Company are being conducted in a manner consistent with the Kansas insurance laws and 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 may be amended by written agreement between all parties. 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.
12.9. (a) Agreement to Provide Information. Company agrees to provide the Fund, upon written request, the taxpayer identification number (“TIN”), the Individual/International Taxpayer Identification Number (“ITIN”), or other government-issued identifier (“GII”), if known, of any or all Shareholder(s) of the account and the amount, date, name or other identifier of any investment professional(s) associated with the Shareholder(s) or account (if known), and transaction type (purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange) of every purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange of Shares held through an account maintained by the Company during the period covered by the request.
(i) Period Covered by Request. Requests must set forth a specific period, not to exceed 90 calendar days from the date of the request, for which transaction information is sought. The Fund may request transaction information older than 90 calendar days from the date of the request as it deems necessary to investigate compliance with policies established by the Fund for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding Shares issued by the Fund.
(ii) Form and Timing of Response.
a. The Company agrees to provide, promptly upon request of the Fund or its designee, the requested information specified in Article 12.9(a). If requested by the Fund or its designee, the Company agrees to use best efforts to determine promptly whether any specific person about whom it has received the identification and
transaction information specified in Article 12.9(a) is itself a financial intermediary (“Indirect Intermediary”) and, upon further request of the Fund or its designee, promptly either (i) provide (or arrange to have provided) the information set forth in Article 12.9(a) for those Shareholders who hold an account with an Indirect Intermediary or (ii) restrict or prohibit the Indirect Intermediary from purchasing, in nominee name on behalf of other persons, securities issued by the Fund. The Company additionally agrees to inform the Fund whether it plans to perform (i) or (ii).
b. Responses required by this paragraph must be communicated in writing and in a format mutually agreed upon by the parties.
c. To the extent practicable, the format for any transaction information provided to the Fund should be consistent with the NSCC Standardized Data Reporting Format.
(iii) Limitations on Use of Information. The Fund agrees not to use the information received for marketing or any other similar purpose without the prior written consent of the Company.
(b) Agreement to Restrict Trading. The Company agrees to execute written instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases or exchanges of Shares by a Shareholder that has been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions of the Fund’s Shares (directly or indirectly through the Company’s account) that violate policies established or utilized by the Fund for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding Shares issued by the Fund.
(i) Form of Instructions. Instructions between the parties to restrict or prohibit further purchases or exchanges of Fund Shares must include the TIN, ITIN, or GII, if known, and the specific restriction(s) to be executed. If the TIN, ITIN, or GII is not known, the instructions must include an equivalent identifying number of the Shareholder(s) or account(s) or other agreed upon information to which the instruction relates.
(ii) Timing of Response. The Company agrees to execute instructions as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than five business days after receipt of the instructions by the Company.
(iii) Confirmation by the Company. The Company must provide written confirmation to the Fund that instructions have been executed. The Company agrees to provide confirmation as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than ten business days after the instructions have been executed.
(c) Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:
(i) Pursuant to Article 12.9, and only Article 12.9 herein, the term “Fund” also includes the Fund’s principal underwriter and transfer agent. The term does not include any “excepted funds” as defined in SEC Rule 22c-2(b) under the 0000 Xxx.
(ii) The term “Shares” means the interest of Shareholders corresponding to the redeemable securities of record issued by the Fund under the 1940 Act that are held by the Company.
(iii) The term “Shareholder” means the beneficial owner of Shares, whether the Shares are held directly or by the Company in nominee name.
(iv) The term “written” includes electronic writings and facsimile transmissions.
(v) The term “Company” shall mean a “financial intermediary” as defined in SEC Rule 22c-2.
(vi) The term “purchase” does not include automatic reinvestment of dividends.
(vii) The term “promptly” as used in Article 12.9(a)(ii) shall mean as soon as practicable but in no event later than 5 business days from the Company’s receipt of the request for information from the Fund or its designee.
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.
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company
|
By its authorized officer
|
|
By:
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XXXXXXX X. XXXXX
|
|
Title:
|
President
|
|
Date:
|
4/16/2014
|
|
Transparent Value Trust
|
By its authorized officer
|
|
By:
|
XXXXX XXXX
|
|
Title:
|
President
|
|
Date:
|
April 30, 2014
|
|
Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC
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By its authorized officer
|
|
By:
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XXXXXXX X. XXXXXX
|
|
Title:
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Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Attorney-in-Fact
|
|
Date:
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May 13, 2014
|
[Date]
Schedule A
Account(s)
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Contract(s)
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Variflex Separate Account
|
Variflex
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SBL Variable Annuity Account VIII
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Variflex LS
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Variable Annuity Account XI
|
Scarborough
|
AdvisorDesigns
SecureDesigns
AdvanceDesigns
EliteDesigns
EliteDesigns II
|
Additionally, “Accounts” and “Contracts” will include any new Accounts and Contracts created subsequent to the date hereof with notice to the Fund.
Fund and Portfolios
Fund
Transparent Value Trust
Portfolios
Transparent Value Directional Allocation VI Portfolio
Additionally, “Portfolios” will include any portfolio created subsequent to the date hereof that is made available to the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement
A-1
SCHEDULE B
EXPENSES
The Fund and the Company will coordinate the functions and pay the costs of the completing these functions based upon an allocation of costs in the tables below. The term “Current” is defined as an existing owner of a Contract with value allocated to one or more Portfolios.
The term “Prospective” is defined as a potential new owner of a Contract.
Item
|
Function
|
Party Responsible for Expense
|
Fund Prospectus
|
Printing and Distribution (including postage)
|
Current – Fund (Company may choose to do the printing at Fund’s expense)
|
Fund Prospectus and SAI Supplements
|
Printing and Distribution (including postage)
|
Current – Fund (Company may choose to do the printing at Fund’s expense)
|
Fund SAI
|
Printing and Distribution (including postage)
|
Current – Fund
|
Proxy Material for Fund
|
Printing, Distribution to Current (including postage), tabulation and solicitation
|
Current – Fund
|
Fund Annual & Semi-Annual Report
|
Printing and Distribution (including postage)
|
Current – Fund (Company may choose to do the printing at Fund’s expense)
|
Contract Prospectus
|
Printing and Distribution (including postage)
|
Current and Prospective – Company
|
Contract Prospectus and SAI Supplements
|
Printing and Distribution (including postage)
|
Current and Prospective Company
|
Contract SAI
|
Printing and Distribution (including postage)
|
Current and Prospective – Company
|
Other communication to Current
|
Printing and Distribution (including postage)
|
If Required by Law or Fund – Fund
|
Other communication to Prospective
|
Printing and Distribution (including postage)
|
Company
|
Operations of the Fund
|
All operations and related expenses, including the cost of registration and qualification of shares, taxes on the issuance or transfer of shares, cost of management of the business affairs of a Fund, and expenses paid or assumed by a Fund pursuant to any Rule 12b-1 plan
|
Fund
|
Operations of the Accounts
|
Federal registration of units of separate account (24f-2 fees)
|
Company
|
B-1
SCHEDULE C
USE OF SUMMARY PROSPECTUSES
All capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Agreement.
1.
|
For purposes of this Schedule C, the terms Summary Prospectus and Statutory Prospectus shall have the same meaning as set forth in Rule 498.
|
2.
|
The Fund shall provide the Company with copies of the Summary Prospectuses and any supplements thereto in the same manner and at the same times as the Agreement requires that the Fund provide the Company with Statutory Prospectuses.
|
3.
|
The Fund and the Adviser each represents and warrants that the Summary Prospectuses and the web site hosting of such Summary Prospectuses will comply with the requirements of Rule 498 applicable to the Fund and its Portfolios. The Fund further represents and warrants that it has appropriate policies and procedures in place in accordance with Rule 498(e)(4) to ensure that such web site continuously complies with Rule 498.
|
4.
|
The Fund agrees that the URL indicated on each Summary Prospectus will lead Contract owners directly to the web page used for hosting Summary Prospectuses and that such web page will host the current Fund documents required to be posted in compliance with Rule 498. The Fund shall immediately notify the Company of any unexpected interruptions in availability of this web page. The Fund agrees that the web landing page used for hosting Summary Prospectuses will not contain any marketing materials (other than those Fund documents provided for under Rule 498) and that the landing page will contain Summary Prospectuses only for the Fund or its affiliated funds.
|
5.
|
The Fund represents and warrants that it will be responsible for compliance with the provisions of Rule 498(f)(i) involving Contract owner requests for additional Fund documents made directly to the Fund, or one of its affiliates. The Fund further represents and warrants that any information obtained about Contract owners pursuant to this provision will be used solely for the purposes of responding to requests for additional Fund documents.
|
6.
|
The Company represents and warrants that it will respond to requests for additional Fund documents made by Contract owners directly to the Company or one of its affiliates.
|
7.
|
The Company represents and warrants that any bundling of Summary Prospectuses and Statutory Prospectuses will be done in compliance with Rule 498.
|
8.
|
At the Company’s request, the Fund will provide the Company with URLs to the current Fund documents for use with Company’s electronic delivery of Fund documents or on the Company’s website. The Adviser and the Fund will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the URLs and for maintaining the Fund’s current documents on the site to which such URLs originally navigate to.
|
9.
|
If the Fund determines that it will end its use of the Summary Prospectus delivery option, the Fund will provide the Company with at least 60 days’ advance notice of its intent so that the Company can arrange to deliver a Statutory Prospectus in place of a Summary Prospectus. In order to comply with Rule 498(e)(1), the Fund shall continue to maintain its website in compliance with the requirements of this Agreement and Rule 498 for a minimum of 90 days after the termination of any such notice period.
|
C-1
10.
|
The parties agree that all other provisions of the Participation Agreement, including the Indemnification provisions, will apply to the terms of this Schedule C as applicable.
|
11.
|
The Company agrees that it will give the Adviser and the Fund sufficient notice of its intended use of the Summary Prospectuses or the Statutory Prospectuses.
|
C-2