WCT Funds September 1, 1997
Exhibit 15 (ii)
FORM OF
RULE 12b-1 AGREEMENT
This Agreement is made between the Financial Institution executing this
Agreement ("Administrator") and Edgewood Services, Inc. ("ESI") for the mutual
funds (referred to individually as the "Fund" and collectively as the "Funds")
for which ESI serves as Distributor of shares of beneficial interest or capital
stock ("Shares") and which have adopted a Rule 12b-1 Plan ("Plan") and approved
this form of agreement pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act
of 1940. In consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter contained, it is
hereby agreed by and between the parties hereto as follows:
1. ESI hereby appoints Administrator to render or cause to be rendered
sales and administrative support services to the Funds and their shareholders.
2. The services to be provided under Paragraph 1 may include, but are
not limited to advertising, compensation of sales personnel, mailing of
prospectuses, providing assistance and review in designing materials to send to
potential customers, and such other services as are primarily intended to result
in sales of Shares by the Funds.
3. During the term of this Agreement, ESI will pay the Administrator
fees for each Fund as set forth in a written schedule delivered to the
Administrator pursuant to this Agreement. ESI's fee schedule for Administrator
may be changed by ESI sending a new fee schedule to Administrator pursuant to
Paragraph 12 of this Agreement. For the payment period in which this Agreement
becomes effective or terminates, there shall be an appropriate proration of the
fee on the basis of the number of days that the Rule 12b-1 Agreement is in
effect during the quarter.
4. The Administrator will not perform or provide any duties which would
cause it to be a fiduciary under Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code, as
amended. For purposes of that Section, the Administrator understands that any
person who exercises any discretionary authority or discretionary control with
respect to any individual retirement account or its assets, or who renders
investment advice for a fee, or has any authority or responsibility to do so, or
has any discretionary authority or discretionary responsibility in the
administration of such an account, is a fiduciary.
5. The Administrator understands that the Department of Labor views
ERISA as prohibiting fiduciaries of discretionary ERISA assets from receiving
administrative service fees or other compensation from funds in which the
fiduciary's discretionary ERISA assets are invested. To date, the Department of
Labor has not issued any exemptive order or advisory opinion that would exempt
fiduciaries from this interpretation. Without specific authorization from the
Department of Labor, fiduciaries should carefully avoid investing discretionary
assets in any fund pursuant to an arrangement where the fiduciary is to be
compensated by the fund for such investment. Receipt of such compensation could
violate ERISA provisions against fiduciary self-dealing and conflict of interest
and could subject the fiduciary to substantial penalties.
6. The Administrator agrees not to solicit or cause to be solicited
directly, or indirectly at any time in the future, any proxies from the
shareholders of any or all of the Funds in opposition to proxies solicited by
management of the Fund or Funds, unless a court of competent jurisdiction shall
have determined that the conduct of a majority of the Board of Directors or
Trustees of the Fund or Funds constitutes willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of their duties. This paragraph 6 will survive
the term of this Agreement.
7. With respect to each Fund, this Agreement shall continue in effect
for one year from the date of its execution, and thereafter for successive
periods of one year if the form of this Agreement is approved at least annually
by the Directors or Trustees of the Fund, including a majority of the members of
the Board of Directors or Trustees of the Fund who are not interested persons of
the Fund and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of
the Fund's Plan or in any related documents to the Plan ("Disinterested
Directors or Trustees") cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose.
8. Notwithstanding paragraph 7, this Agreement may be terminated as follows:
(a) at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the vote
of a majority of the Disinterested Directors or Trustees of
the Fund or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company
Act of 1940 on not more than sixty (60) days' written notice
to the parties to this Agreement;
(b) automatically in the event of the Agreement's assignment as
defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 or upon the
termination of the "Administrative Support and Distributor's
Contract" or "Distributor's Contract" between the Fund and ESI;
and
(c) by either party to the Agreement without cause by giving the
other party at least sixty (60) days' written notice of its
intention to terminate.
9. The termination of this Agreement with respect to any one Fund
will not cause the Agreement's termination with respect to any
other Fund.
10. The Administrator agrees to obtain any taxpayer identification
number certification from its customers required under Section 3406 of the
Internal Revenue Code, and any applicable Treasury regulations, and to provide
ESI or its designee with timely written notice of any failure to obtain such
taxpayer identification number certification in order to enable the
implementation of any required backup withholding.
11. This Agreement supersedes any prior service agreements between
the parties for the Funds.
12. This Agreement may be amended by ESI from time to time by the
following procedure. ESI will mail a copy of the amendment to the
Administrator's address, as shown below. If the Administrator does not object to
the amendment within thirty (30) days after its receipt, the amendment will
become part of the Agreement. The Administrator's objection must be in writing
and be received by ESI within such thirty days.
13. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the Laws of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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Administrator
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Address
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City State Zip Code
Dated:_______________________
By:______________________________
Authorized Signature
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Title
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Print Name of Authorized Signature
EDGEWOOD SERVICES, INC.
Federated Investors Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000-0000
By:_________________________________
WCT FUNDS
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EXHIBIT A to 12b-1 Agreement with
Edgewood Services, Inc. ("ESI")
Portfolios
ESI will pay Administrator fees for the following portfolios (the
"Funds") effective as of the dates set forth below:
Name Date
WCT Equity Fund September 1, 1997
Administrative Fees
1. During the term of this Agreement, ESI will pay Administrator a
quarterly fee in respect of each Fund. This fee will be computed at the annual
rate of .25% of the average net asset value of Shares held during the quarter in
accounts for which the Administrator provides services under this Agreement, so
long as the average net asset value of Shares in each Fund during the quarter
equals or exceeds such minimum amount as ESI shall from time to time determine
and communicate in writing to the Administrator.
2. For the quarterly period in which the Administrative Agreement
becomes effective or terminates, there shall be an appropriate proration of any
fee payable on the basis of the number of days that the Agreement is in effect
during the quarter.
