THE INNOVATIVE FUNDS
DEALER AGREEMENT
----------------
Xxxxxx Securities, Inc. ("Underwriter") invites you, as a selected
dealer, to participate as principal in the distribution of shares (the "Shares")
of the mutual funds set forth on Schedule A to this Agreement (the "Funds"), of
which it is the exclusive underwriter. Underwriter agrees to sell to you,
subject to any limitations imposed by the Funds, Shares issued by the Funds and
to promptly confirm each sale to you. All sales will be made according to the
following terms:
1. All offerings of any of the Shares by you must be made at the public
offering prices, and shall be subject to the conditions of offering, set forth
in the then current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information of the
applicable Fund and to the terms and conditions herein set forth, and you agree
to comply with all requirements applicable to you of all applicable laws,
including federal and state securities laws, the rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Rules of Fair Practice of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD"), including Section
24 of the Rules of Fair Practice of the NASD. You will not offer the Shares for
sale in any state or other jurisdiction where they are not qualified for sale
under the Blue Sky Laws and regulations of such state or jurisdiction, or where
you are not qualified to act as a dealer. Upon application to Underwriter,
Underwriter will inform you as to the states or other jurisdictions in which
Underwriter believes the Shares may legally be sold.
2. (a) You will receive a discount from the public offering price
("concession") on all Shares purchased by you from Underwriter as indicated on
Schedule A, as it may be amended by Underwriter from time to time.
(b) In all transactions in open accounts in which you are designated as
Dealer of Record, you will receive the concessions as set forth on Schedule A.
You hereby authorize Underwriter to act as your agent in connection with all
transactions in open accounts in which you are designated as Dealer of Record.
All designations as Dealer of Record, and all authorizations of Underwriter to
act as your Agent pursuant thereto, shall cease upon the termination of this
Agreement or upon the investor's instructions to transfer his open account to
another Dealer of Record. No dealer concessions will be allowed on purchases
generating less than $1.00 in dealer concessions.
(c) As the exclusive underwriter of the Shares, Underwriter reserves
the privilege of revising the discounts specified on Schedule A at any time by
written notice.
3. Concessions will be paid to you at the address of your principal
office, as indicated below in your acceptance of this Agreement.
4. Underwriter reserves the right to cancel this Agreement at any time
without notice if any Shares shall be offered for sale by you at less than the
then current public offering prices determined by, or for, the Funds.
5. All orders are subject to acceptance or rejection by Underwriter in
its sole discretion. Underwriter reserves the right, in its discretion, without
notice, to suspend sales or withdraw the offering of Shares entirely.
6. Payment shall be made to the Funds and shall be received by its
Transfer Agent within three (3) business days after the acceptance of your order
or such shorter time as may be required by law. With respect to all Shares
ordered by you for which payment has not been received, you hereby assign and
pledge to Underwriter all of your right, title and interest in such Shares to
secure payment therefor. You appoint Underwriter as your agent to execute and
deliver all documents necessary to effectuate any of the transactions described
in this paragraph. If such payment is not received within the required time
period, Underwriter reserves the right, without notice, and at its option,
forthwith (a) to cancel the sale, (b) to sell the Shares ordered by you back to
the Funds, or (c) to assign your payment obligation, accompanied by all pledged
Shares, to any person. You agree that Underwriter may hold you responsible for
any loss, including loss of profit, suffered by the Funds, its Transfer Agent or
Underwriter, resulting from your failure to make payment within the required
time period.
7. No person is authorized to make any representations concerning
Shares of the Funds except those contained in the current applicable Prospectus
and Statement of Additional Information and in sales literature issued and
furnished by Underwriter supplemental to such Prospectus. Underwriter will
furnish additional copies of the current Prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information and such sales literature and other releases and information issued
by Underwriter in reasonable quantities upon request.
8. Under this Agreement, you act as principal and are not employed by
Underwriter as broker, agent or employee. You are not authorized to act for
Underwriter nor make any representation on its behalf; and in purchasing or
selling Shares hereunder, you rely only upon the current Prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information furnished to you by Underwriter from time to
time and upon such written representations as may hereafter be made by
Underwriter to you over its signature.
9. You appoint the transfer agent for the Funds as your agent to
execute the purchase transactions of Shares in accordance with the terms and
provisions of any account, program, plan or service established or used by your
customers and to confirm each purchase to your customers on your behalf, and you
guarantee the legal capacity of your customers so purchasing such Shares and any
co-owners of such Shares.
10. You will (a) maintain all records required by law relating to
transactions in the Shares, and upon the request of Underwriter, or the request
of the Funds, promptly make such of these records available to Underwriter or to
the Funds as are requested, and (b) promptly notify Underwriter if you
experience any difficulty in maintaining the records required in the foregoing
clause in an accurate and complete manner. In addition, you will establish
appropriate procedures and reporting forms and schedule, approved by Underwriter
and by the Funds, to enable the parties hereto and the Funds to identify all
accounts opened and maintained by your customers.
11. Each party hereto represents that it is present, and at all times
during the term of this Agreement will be, a member in good standing of the NASD
and agrees to abide by all its Rules of Fair Practice including, but not limited
to, the following provisions:
(a) You shall not withhold placing customers' orders for any Shares so
as to profit yourself as a result of such withholding. You shall not purchase
any Shares from Underwriter other than for investment, except for the purpose of
covering purchase orders already received.
(b) All conditional orders received by Underwriter must be at a
specified definite price.
(c) If any Shares purchased by you are repurchased by the Funds (or by
Underwriter for the account of the Funds) or are tendered for redemption within
seven business days after confirmation of the original sale of such Shares (1)
you agree to forthwith refund to Underwriter the full concession allowed to you
on the original sale, such refund to be paid by Underwriter to the Funds, and
(2) Underwriter shall forthwith pay to the Funds that part of the discount
retained by Underwriter on the original sale. Notice will be given to you of any
such repurchase or redemption within ten days of the date on which the
repurchase or redemption request is made.
(d) Neither Underwriter, as exclusive underwriter for the Funds, nor
you as principal, shall purchase any Shares from a record holder at a price
lower than the net asset value then quoted by, or for, the Funds. Nothing in
this sub-paragraph shall prevent you from selling Shares for the account of a
record holder to Underwriter or the Funds at the net asset value currently
quoted by, or for, the Funds and charging the investor a fair commission for
handling the transaction.
(e) You warrant on behalf of yourself and your registered
representatives and employees that any purchase of Shares at net asset value by
the same pursuant to the terms of the Prospectus of the applicable Fund is for
investment purposes only and not for purposes of resale. Shares so purchased may
be resold only to the Fund which issued them.
12. You agree that you will indemnify Underwriter, each Fund, each
Fund's transfer agent, each Fund's investment adviser, and each Fund's custodian
and hold such persons harmless from any claims or assertions relating to the
lawfulness of your company's participation in this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby or relating to any activities of any persons or
entities affiliated with your company which are performed in connection with the
discharge of your responsibilities under this Agreement. If any claims are
asserted, the indemnified parties shall have the right to engage in their own
defense, including the selection and engagement of legal counsel of their
choosing, and all costs of such defense shall be borne by you.
13. This Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its
assignment. Either party hereto may cancel this Agreement without penalty upon
ten days' written notice. This Agreement may also be terminated as to any Fund
at any time without penalty by the vote of a majority of the members of the
Board of Trustees of the terminating Fund who are not "interested persons" (as
such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) or by a vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the terminating Fund on ten
days' written notice.
14. All communications to Underwriter should be sent to Xxxxxx
Securities, Inc. 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 00, Xx. Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, or at
such other address as Underwriter may designate in writing. Any notice to you
shall be duly given if mailed or telegraphed to you at the address of your
principal office, as indicated below in your acceptance of this Agreement.
15. This Agreement supersedes any other agreement with you relating to
the offer and sale of the Shares, and relating to any other matter discussed
herein.
16. This Agreement shall be binding (i) upon placing your first order
with Underwriter for the purchase of Shares, or (ii) upon receipt by Underwriter
in St. Louis, Missouri of a counterpart of this Agreement duly accepted and
signed by you, whichever shall occur first. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF OHIO.
17. The undersigned, executing this Agreement on behalf of Dealer,
hereby warrants and represents that he is duly authorized to so execute this
Agreement on behalf of Dealer.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our
agreement, please sign and return to us one copy of this Agreement.
The foregoing Procedures were adopted unanimously by the Board of
Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of its Independent Trustees, at a
meeting held on February 15, 2000.
XXXXXX SECURITIES, INC.
By: _________________________________
Xxxx X. Xxxxxx, President
ACCEPTED BY DEALER:
________________________________
Firm Name
By: _________________________________ ________________________________
Authorized Signature, Position Type or Print Name
ADDRESS (Principal Office):
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Date: __________________________________
