Item 26(h)(xvi)(a)
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION AGREEMENT
(UNDER RULE 22c-2(a)(2) OF THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940)
This Shareholder Information Agreement ("Agreement") is effective as of
the 15th day of April, 2007 by and between the American Funds Service Company
("AFS") ("Fund") on behalf of the American Funds and the American Funds
Insurance Series and the Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company,
Transamerica Life Insurance Company, and Western Reserve Life Assurance Co. of
Ohio (collectively, "Insurers").
As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
meanings, unless a different meaning is clearly required by the contexts:
The term "Intermediary" shall mean an insurance company separate account which
is not determined to be an indirect intermediary as such term is defined in SEC
Rule 22c-2.
The term "Fund" shall mean an open-ended management investment company that is
registered or required to register under section 8 of the Investment Company Act
of 1940 and includes (i) an investment adviser to or administrator for the Fund;
(ii) the principal underwriter or distributor for the Fund; or (iii) the
transfer agent for the Fund. The term does not include any "excepted funds" as
defined in SEC Rule 22c-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940.(1)
The term "Shares" means the interests of Shareholders corresponding to the
redeemable securities of record issued by the Fund under the Investment Company
Act of 1940 that are held by the Intermediary.
The term "Shareholder" means the holder of interests in a variable annuity or
variable life insurance contract issued by the Intermediary ("Contract"), or a
participant in an employee benefit plan with a beneficial interest in a
Contract.
The term "Shareholder-Initiated Transfer Purchase" means a transaction that is
initiated or directed by a Shareholder that results in a transfer of assets
within a Contract to a Fund, but does not include transactions that are
executed: (i) automatically pursuant to a contractual or systematic program or
enrollment such as transfer of assets within a Contract to a Fund as a result of
"dollar cost averaging" programs, insurance company approved asset allocation
programs, managed account programs or automatic rebalancing programs; (ii)
pursuant to a Contract death benefit; (iii) one-time step-up in Contract value
pursuant to a Contract death benefit; (iv) allocation of assets to a Fund
through a Contract as a result of payments such as loan repayments, scheduled
contributions, retirement plan salary reduction contributions, or planned
premium payments to the Contract; or (v) pre-arranged transfers at the
conclusion of a required free look period.
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(1) As defined in SEC Rule 22c-2(b), term "excepted fund" means any: (1) money
market fund; (2) fund that issues securities that are listed on a national
exchange; and (3) fund that affirmatively permits short-term trading of its
securities, if its prospectus clearly and prominently discloses that the fund
permits short-term trading of its securities and that such trading may result in
additional costs for the fund.
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The term "Shareholder-Initiated Transfer Redemption" means a transaction that is
initiated or directed by a Shareholder that results in a transfer of assets
within a Contract out of a Fund, but does not include transactions that are
executed: (i) automatically pursuant to a contractual or systematic program or
enrollments such as transfers of assets within a Contract out of a Fund as a
result of annuity payouts, loans, systematic withdrawal programs, insurance
company approved asset allocation programs, managed account programs and
automatic rebalancing programs; (ii) as a result of any deduction of charges or
fees under a Contract; (iii) within a Contract out of a Fund as a result of
scheduled withdrawals or surrenders from a Contract; (iv) as a result of payment
of a death benefit from a Contract; (v) as part of a Contract discontinuance or
termination of the employee benefit plan; or (vi) as normal participant
withdrawals from employee benefit plans made on account of termination, loans,
hardship, etc.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Fund and the Intermediaries hereby agree as follows:
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION
1. AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE INFORMATION. Intermediary agrees to provide the Fund or
its designee, upon written request, the taxpayer identification number ("TIN"),
the Individual/International Taxpayer Identification Number ("ITIN") , or other
government-issued identifier ("Gil") and the Contract owner number or
participant account number associated with the Shareholder, if known, of any or
all Shareholder(s) of the account, and the amount, date and transaction type
(purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange) of every purchase, redemption,
transfer, or exchange of Shares held through an account maintained by the
Intermediary during the period covered by the request. Unless otherwise
specifically requested by the Fund, the Intermediary shall only be required to
provide information relating to Shareholder-Initiated Transfer Purchases or
Shareholder-Initiated Transfer Redemptions.
1.1 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. The data and procedures regarding data requests
covering periods longer than 18 calendar months form the date of the
request shall be mutually agreed upon by the parities. Data requests
may not cover periods prior to the later of the effective date of
this Agreement or October 15, 2007.
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(*) According to the IRS' website, the ITIN refers to the Individual Taxpayer
Identification number, which is a nine-digit number that always begins with the
number 9 and has a 7 or 8 in the fourth digit, example 9XX-7X-XXXX. The IRS
issues ITINs to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer
identification number but who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain a
Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration (SSA). SEC
Rule 22c-2 inadvertently refers to the ITIN as the International Taxpayer
Identification Number.
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1.2 TIMING OF REQUESTS. Fund requests for Shareholder information
shall be made no more frequently than quarterly except as the Fund 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.
1.3 FORM AND TIMING OF RESPONSE. (a) Intermediary agrees to provide,
promptly upon request of the Fund or its designee, the requested
information specified in 1. If requested by the Fund or its designee,
Intermediary agrees to use best efforts to determine promptly whether any
specific person about whom it has received the identification and
transaction information specified in 1 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 1 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. Intermediary 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 Fund or its designee
and the Intermediary; and
(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.
1.4 LIMITATIONS ON USE OF INFORMATION. The Fund agrees not to use
the information received pursuant to this Agreement for any purpose other
than as necessary to comply with the provisions of Rule 22c-2, or to
fulfill other regulatory or legal requirements subject to the privacy
provisions of Title V of the ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇ Act (Public Law 106-102)
and comparable state laws.
2. AGREEMENT TO RESTRICT TRADING. Intermediary agrees to execute written
instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases or
exchanges of Shares by a Shareholder that have been identified by the Fund as
having engaged in transactions of the Fund's Shares (directly or indirectly
through the Intermediary's account) that violate 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. Unless otherwise directed by the Fund,
any such restrictions or prohibitions shall only apply to Shareholder-Initiated
Transfer Purchases or Shareholder-Initiated Transfer Redemptions that are
effected directly or indirectly through Intermediary. Instructions must be
received by an Intermediary at the following address, or such other address that
the Intermediary may communicate to the Fund in writing from time to time,
including, if applicable, an e-mail and/or facsimile telephone number:
FMG SEPARATE ACCOUNTS GROUP
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MAIL DROP ▇▇▇▇
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PRIMARY EMAIL: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇
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PHONE: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ PHONE: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
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2.1 FORM OF INSTRUCTIONS. Instructions must include the TIN, ITIN,
or GII and the specific individual Contract owner number or participant
account number associated with the Shareholder, if known, and the specific
restriction(s)to be executed, including how long the restriction(s) is
(are) to remain in place. If the TIN, ITIN, GII or the specific individual
Contract owner number or participant account number associated with the
Shareholder 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. Upon request of
Intermediary, Fund agrees to provide any necessary notice needed to
communicate restrictions to the Shareholder.
2.2 TIMING OF RESPONSE. Intermediary agrees to execute instructions
as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than five business days
after receipt of the instructions by the Intermediary.
2.3 CONFIRMATION BY INTERMEDIARY. Intermediary must provide written
confirmation to the Fund that instructions have been executed.
Intermediary agrees to provide confirmation as soon as reasonably
practicable, but not later than ten business days after the instructions
have been executed. Such confirmation should be sent to:
AMERICAN FUNDS SERVICE COMPANY
ATTN: HOST CONTROL
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3. CONSTRUCTION OF THE AGREEMENT; PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT. The parties have
entered into one or more Participation Agreement(s) between or among them, for
the purchase and redemption of shares of the Funds by the Accounts in connection
with the Contracts. This Agreement supplements the Participation Agreement(s),
as amended. To the extent the terms of this Agreement conflict with the terms of
the Participation Agreement(s), the terms of this Agreement shall control.
4. TERMINATION. This Agreement will terminate upon the termination of the
Participation Agreement(s).
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Agreement to be executed as
of the date first above written.
AMERICAN FUNDS SERVICE COMPANY
By: /s/ [ILLEGIBLE]
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Title: Vice President
[ILLEGIBLE]
TRANSAMERICA FINANCIAL LIFE
INSURANCE COMPANY
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY
By: /s/ Hristo Setfanov
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Vice President
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY
By: /s/ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Vice President, Actuary
WESTERN RESERVE LIFE
ASSURANCE CO. OF OHIO
By: /s/ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Vice President, Actuary
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