February 1, 2022 The Putnam Funds 100 Federal Street Boston, Massachusetts 02110 Ladies and Gentlemen:
February 1, 2022
The Xxxxxx Funds
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Xxxxxx Investment Management, LLC (“PIM”) hereby contractually agrees, as of the date hereof, with respect to the funds specified below or in Schedule A, Schedule B, or Schedule C, to waive fees and reimburse certain expenses in the manner provided below:
1. Other expenses.
a. XXX agrees to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of each open-end fund listed on Schedule A and each variable trust fund listed on Schedule B to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses (including borrowing costs, i.e., short selling and lines of credit costs), extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, the fund’s investment management contract (including any applicable performance-based upward or downward adjustment to a fund’s base management fee), and the fund’s distribution plans, to an annual (measured on a fiscal year basis) rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets. This contractual waiver will remain in effect for a fund through the expiration of one year following the effective date of the next annual update of the fund’s registration statement.
b. XXX agrees to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of Xxxxxx Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses (including borrowing costs, i.e., short selling and lines of credit costs), extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, the fund’s investment management contract, and the fund’s distribution plans, to an annual (measured on a fiscal year basis) rate of 0.02% of the fund’s average net assets. This contractual waiver will remain in effect through the expiration of the one-year period following the effective date of the next annual update of the fund’s registration statement.
2. Fund-specific expense limitations.
a. As set forth in the table below, PIM agrees to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of each fund set forth below to the extent that the total annual fund operating expenses for the fund -- exclusive of payments under the fund’s distribution plans, any applicable performance-based upward or downward adjustment to the fund’s base management fee, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses (including borrowing costs, i.e., short selling and lines of credit costs), extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and
expenses – would exceed the specified rate through the specified date, which is the expiration of the one-year period following the effective date of the next annual update of each fund’s registration statement:
| Fund | Proposed Contractual Limitation on Total Fund Operating Expenses |
Expiration
|
| Xxxxxx VT Emerging Markets Equity Fund | 1.09% | April 30, 2023 |
| Xxxxxx VT Multi-Asset Absolute Return Fund | 0.90% | April 30, 2023 |
| Xxxxxx VT Mortgage Securities Fund | 0.50% | April 30, 2023 |
b. As set forth in the table below, PIM agrees to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of each fund set forth below to the extent that the total annual fund operating expenses for the fund – exclusive of payments under the fund’s distribution plans, payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, any applicable performance-based upward or downward adjustment to the fund’s base management fee, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses (including borrowing costs, i.e., short selling and lines of credit costs), extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses – would exceed the specified rate through the specified date, which is the expiration of the one-year period following the effective date of the next post-effective amendment of each fund’s registration statement:
| Fund | Proposed Contractual Limitation on Total Fund Operating Expenses |
Expiration
|
| Xxxxxx Dynamic Risk Allocation Fund | 0.70% | Sept. 30, 2022 |
| Xxxxxx Emerging Markets Equity Fund | 0.78% | December 30, 2022 |
| Xxxxxx Global Income Trust | 0.43% | February 28, 2023 |
| Xxxxxx Income Fund | 0.33% | Feb. 28, 2023 |
| Xxxxxx Intermediate-Term Municipal Income Fund | 0.52% | March 30, 2023 |
| Xxxxxx International Value Fund | 0.59% | October 30, 2023 |
| Xxxxxx Mortgage Opportunities Fund | 0.46% | September 30, 2022 |
| Xxxxxx Ultra Short Duration Income Fund | 0.24% | Nov. 30, 2022 |
| Xxxxxx Short-Term Municipal Income Fund | 0.28% | March 30, 2023 |
3. Xxxxxx Short Term Investment Fund. XXX agrees to waive the contractual management fee of 0.25% for Xxxxxx Short Term Investment Fund through November 30, 2022, the expiration of the one-year period following the effective date of the next update of the fund’s registration statement.
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4. Xxxxxx VT Focused International Equity Fund. XXX agrees to waive 5 basis points of the contractual management fee payable by Xxxxxx VT Focused International Equity Fund through April 30, 2023, the expiration of the one-year period following the effective date of the next annual update of the fund’s registration statement.
5. Target Date Funds.
a. RetirementReady Funds: PIM agrees to (1) waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of each Xxxxxx RetirementReady Fund, in an amount equal to the fund’s “acquired fund fees and expenses” and (2) waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of each class of shares specified below of each Xxxxxx RetirementReady Fund in an amount sufficient to result in total annual fund operating expenses for each share class of the fund – exclusive of payments under the fund’s distribution plan, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses (including borrowing costs, i.e., short selling and lines of credit costs), and extraordinary expenses – that equal the amount specified in the table below of the fund’s average net assets attributable to each such class. Each of these contractual waivers will remain in effect through the date that is three years after the effective date of the next annual update of each fund’s registration statement (except for Xxxxxx RetirementReady® 2060 Fund, which will remain in effect through the date that is ten years after the effective date of the next annual update of the fund’s registration statement).
| Share Class | Net Total Expense Ratio Cap |
| Class A | 0.65% |
| Class B | 0.65% |
| Class C | 0.65% |
| Class R | 0.80% |
| Class R3 | 0.80% |
| Class R4 | 0.80% |
| Class R5 | 0.65% |
| Class R6 | 0.55% |
| Class Y | 0.65% |
b. Retirement Advantage Funds: PIM agrees to (1) waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of each Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage Fund in an amount equal to each fund’s “acquired fund fees and expenses” and (2) waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of each class of shares specified below of each Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage Fund in an amount sufficient to result in total annual fund operating expenses for each class of each fund – exclusive of payments under the fund’s distribution plan, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses (including borrowing costs, i.e., short selling and lines of credit costs), and extraordinary expenses – that equal the amount specified in the table below of the fund’s average net assets attributable to each such class. Each of these contractual waivers will remain in effect through the date that is three years after the effective date of the next annual update of each fund’s registration statement.
| 3 |
| Share Class | Net Total Expense Ratio Cap |
| Class A | 0.55% |
| Class C | 0.55% |
| Class R | 0.70% |
| Class R3 | 0.70% |
| Class R4 | 0.70% |
| Class R5 | 0.55% |
| Class R6 | 0.45% |
| Class Y | 0.55% |
Effective July 1, 2021, this contractual undertaking supersedes any prior contractual expense limitation provisions between PIM and the funds. This undertaking shall be binding upon any successors and assignees of PIM.
A copy of the Declaration of Trust (including any amendments thereto) of each of The Xxxxxx Funds is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and notice is hereby given that this instrument is executed on behalf of the Trustees of each Xxxxxx Fund as trustees and not individually and that the obligations of or arising out of this instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees or officers or shareholders individually, but binding only upon the assets and property of each Xxxxxx Fund with respect to its obligations under this instrument. Furthermore, notice is given that the assets and liabilities of each series of each Xxxxxx Fund that is a series company are separate and distinct and that the obligations of or arising out of this instrument are several and not joint or joint and several and are binding only on the assets of each series with respect to its obligations under this instrument. Each fund is acting on its own behalf separately from all of the other investment companies and not jointly or jointly and severally with any of the other investment companies.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| XXXXXX INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC | |||
| By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx__________ | ||
| Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx | |||
| Vice President and Chief Legal Officer | |||
Agreed and accepted by each Xxxxxx fund listed on Schedule A,
Schedule B and Schedule C
| By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx_______________ |
| Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |
| Executive Vice President, Principal | |
| Executive Officer, and Compliance Liaison |
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| Schedule A |
| Xxxxxx California Tax Exempt Income Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Convertible Securities Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Diversified Income Trust | |
| Xxxxxx Asset Allocation Funds | |
| - Xxxxxx Dynamic Asset Allocation Balanced Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Dynamic Asset Allocation Conservative Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Dynamic Asset Allocation Growth Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Income Strategies Portfolio | |
| Xxxxxx Focused International Equity Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Funds Trust | |
| - Xxxxxx Dynamic Risk Allocation Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Emerging Markets Equity Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Fixed Income Absolute Return Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Floating Rate Income Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Focused Equity Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Global Technology Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Intermediate-Term Municipal Income Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx International Value Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Mortgage Opportunities Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Multi-Asset Absolute Return Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Multi-Cap Core Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Short Duration Bond Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Short-Term Municipal Income Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Small Cap Growth Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Ultra Short Duration Income Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Balanced Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Global Health Care Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Global Income Trust | |
| Xxxxxx High Yield Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Income Fund | |
| Xxxxxx International Equity Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Investment Funds | |
| - Xxxxxx Government Money Market Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Growth Opportunities Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx International Capital Opportunities Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx PanAgora Risk Parity Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Research Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Small Cap Value Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Sustainable Future Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Large Cap Value Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Money Market Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Mortgage Securities Fund | |
| Xxxxxx New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund | |
| Xxxxxx New York Tax Exempt Income Fund | |
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| Xxxxxx Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Sustainable Leaders Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Tax Exempt Income Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Tax-Free Income Trust | |
| - Xxxxxx Strategic Intermediate Municipal Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Tax-Free High Yield Fund | |
| 6 |
| Schedule B |
| Xxxxxx Variable Trust | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Diversified Income Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Emerging Markets Equity Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Focused International Equity Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Balanced Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Global Asset Allocation Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Global Health Care Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Government Money Market Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Growth Opportunities Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT High Yield Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Income Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT International Equity Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT International Value Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Large Cap Value Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Mortgage Securities Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Multi-Asset Absolute Return Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Multi-Cap Core Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Research Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Small Cap Growth Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Small Cap Value Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Sustainable Future Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx VT Sustainable Leaders Fund | |
| 7 |
| Schedule C |
| Other Funds Subject to Expense Limitations | |
| Xxxxxx Funds Trust | |
| - Xxxxxx Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Short Term Investment Fund | |
| Xxxxxx Target Date Funds | |
| - Xxxxxx RetirementReady Maturity Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx RetirementReady 2065 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx RetirementReady 2060 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx RetirementReady 2055 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx RetirementReady 2050 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx RetirementReady 2045 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx RetirementReady 2040 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx RetirementReady 2035 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx RetirementReady 2030 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx RetirementReady 2025 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage Maturity Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage 2065 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage 2060 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage 2055 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage 2050 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage 2045 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage 2040 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage 2035 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage 2030 Fund | |
| - Xxxxxx Retirement Advantage 2025 Fund | |
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