FORM OF
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
NATIONS LIFEGOAL FUNDS, INC.
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of this __ day of October, 1996, by and
between NATIONS LIFEGOAL FUNDS, INC., a Maryland corporation (the "Company"),
and NATIONSBANC ADVISORS, INC., a North Carolina corporation (the "Adviser"), on
behalf of those portfolios of the Company now or hereafter identified on
Schedule I hereto (each a "Fund" and, collectively, the "Funds").
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company is registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended (the "1940 Act") as an open-end, series management investment
company; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser is registered with the Commission under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act") as an
investment adviser; and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Adviser desire to enter into an
agreement to provide for investment advisory services to the Company upon the
terms and conditions hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Adviser contemplate that certain
duties of the Adviser under this Agreement will be delegated to one or more
sub-investment adviser(s) (the "Sub-Adviser(s)") pursuant to separate
sub-advisory agreement(s) (the "Sub-Advisory Agreement(s)");
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein
contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is
hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. ADVISORY SERVICES. The Adviser shall act as investment adviser
for the Funds and shall, in such capacity, manage and supervise the investment
and reinvestment of the cash, securities or other properties comprising the
Funds' assets, subject at all times to the policies and control of the Company's
Board of Directors. The Adviser shall give the Funds the benefit of its best
judgment, efforts and facilities in rendering its services as investment
adviser.
2. INVESTMENT ANALYSIS AND IMPLEMENTATION. In carrying out its
obligations under paragraph 1 hereof, the Adviser shall:
(a) obtain and evaluate pertinent information about
significant developments and economic, statistical and financial
data, domestic, foreign or otherwise, whether affecting the
economy generally or the Funds specifically, and
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whether concerning the individual issuers whose securities are
included in the Funds or the activities in which such issuers
engage, or with respect to securities which the Adviser considers
desirable for inclusion in the Funds;
(b) invest and reinvest, on an ongoing basis, assets
held in the Funds in strict accordance with the investment
policies of the Funds as set forth in the registration statement
of the Company with respect to the Funds, as the same may be
amended from time to time;
(c) select brokers and dealers to execute portfolio
transactions for the Funds and select the markets on or in which
the transactions will be executed;
(d) vote, either in person or by general or limited
proxy, or refrain from voting, any securities held in the Funds
for any purposes; exercise or sell any subscription or conversion
rights; consent to and join in or oppose any voting trusts,
reorganizations, consolidations, mergers, foreclosures and
liquidations and in connection therewith, deposit securities, and
accept and hold other property received therefor;
(e) determine on an ongoing basis the overall
investment strategy with respect to the Funds, and ensure on an
ongoing basis adherence to such strategy;
(f) use the same skill and care in providing
services to the Funds as it uses in providing services to
fiduciary accounts for which it has investment responsibilities;
(g) furnish the Company's Board of Directors with
such periodic and special reports as the Board of Directors may
request; and
(h) take, on behalf of the Funds, all actions which
appear necessary to carry into effect such purchase and sale
programs and supervisory functions set forth in this Paragraph 2.
3. DELEGATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES. Subject to the approval of the
Company's Board of Directors and, if required, the shareholders of the Funds,
the Adviser may, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement(s), delegate to the
Sub-Adviser(s) those of its duties hereunder identified in the Sub-Advisory
Agreement(s), provided that the Adviser shall continue to supervise and monitor
the performance of the duties delegated to the Sub-Adviser(s) and any such
delegation shall not relieve the Adviser of its duties and obligations under
this Agreement. The Adviser shall be solely responsible for providing
compensation, if any, to the Sub-Adviser(s) for services rendered under the
Sub-Advisory Agreement(s).
4. CONTROL BY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Any investment activities
undertaken by the Adviser pursuant to this Agreement, as well as any other
activities undertaken by the Adviser on
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behalf of the Funds, shall at all times be subject to any directives of the
Company's Board of Directors.
5. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS. In carrying out its
obligations under this Agreement, the Adviser shall at all times conform to:
(a) all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the
Advisers Act and any rules and regulations adopted thereunder;
(b) the provisions of the registration statement of
the Company, as the same may be amended from time to time, under
the Securities Act of 1933 and the 1940 Act;
(c) the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation
of the Company, as the same may be amended from time to time;
(d) the provisions of the By-laws of the Company, as
the same may be amended from time to time; and
(e) any other applicable provisions of state or
federal law.
6. BROKER-DEALER RELATIONSHIPS. The Adviser is responsible for the
purchase and sale of securities for the Funds, broker-dealer selection, and
negotiation of brokerage commission rates. The Adviser's primary consideration
in effecting a security transaction will be to obtain the best price and
execution. In selecting a broker-dealer to execute each particular transaction
for a Fund, the Adviser will take the following into consideration: the best net
price available, the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the
broker-dealer; the size of and difficulty in executing the order; and the value
of the expected contribution of the broker-dealer to the Fund on a continuing
basis. Accordingly, the price to the Fund in any transaction may be less
favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the difference is
reasonably justified by other aspects of the portfolio execution services
offered. Subject to such policies as the Company's Board of Directors may from
time to time determine, the Adviser shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully
or to have breached any duty created by this Agreement or otherwise solely by
reason of having caused a Fund to pay a broker or dealer that provides brokerage
and research services to the Adviser an amount of commission for effecting a
portfolio investment transaction in excess of the amount of commission another
broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the
Adviser determines in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable
in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such
broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the
overall responsibilities of the Adviser with respect to the Fund and to other
clients of the Adviser. The Adviser is further authorized to allocate the orders
placed by it on behalf of the Funds to brokers and dealers who also provide
research or statistical material, or other services to the Funds or to the
Adviser. Such allocation shall be in such amounts and proportions as the Adviser
shall determine and the Adviser will report on said allocations regularly to the
Board of Directors of the Company indicating the brokers to whom such
allocations have been made and the basis therefor.
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7. COMPENSATION. Each Fund shall pay the Adviser, as compensation
for services rendered and expenses assumed hereunder, fees, payable monthly, at
the annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. Each
Fund's obligations hereunder are several, and not joint, and no Fund shall be
responsible for the payment of any fees of any other Fund.
8. EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS. The Adviser hereby agrees to bear any
and all fees and expenses of the Funds (other than the management fee payable
under this Agreement), except taxes, brokerage fees and commissions,
extraordinary expenses, and any applicable Rule 12b-1 fees, shareholder
servicing fees and/or shareholder administration fees. The expenses borne by the
Adviser include, but are not limited to, legal, auditing, or governmental fees,
the cost of preparing share certificates, custodian, transfer agent and
shareholder service agent costs, expenses of issue, sale, redemption and
repurchase of shares, expenses of registering and qualifying shares for sale,
expenses relating to directors and shareholder meetings, the cost of preparing
and distributing reports and notices to shareholders, the fees and other
expenses incurred by the Funds in connection with membership in investment
company organizations and the cost of printing prospectuses and statements of
additional information distributed to the Funds' shareholders.
9. NON-EXCLUSIVITY. The services of the Adviser to the Funds are
not to be deemed to be exclusive, and the Adviser shall be free to render
investment advisory and administrative or other services to others (including
other investment companies) and to engage in other activities. It is understood
and agreed that officers or directors of the Adviser may serve as officers and
directors of the Company, and that officers or directors of the Company may
serve as officers or directors of the Adviser, to the extent that such services
may be permitted by law, and that the officers and directors of the Adviser are
not prohibited from engaging in any other business activity or from rendering
services to any other person, or from serving as partners, officers, directors
or trustees of any other firm or trust, including other investment advisory
companies.
10. RECORDS. The Adviser shall, with respect to orders the Adviser
places for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities of the Funds, maintain
or arrange for the maintenance of the documents and records required pursuant to
Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act as well as such records as the Funds'
administrator reasonably requests to be maintained, including, but not limited
to, trade tickets and confirmations for portfolio trades. All such records shall
be maintained in a form acceptable to the Funds and in compliance with the
provisions of Rule 31a-1. All such records will be the property of the Funds and
will be available for inspection and use by the Funds. The Adviser will promptly
notify the Funds' administrator if it experiences any difficulty in maintaining
the records in an accurate and complete manner.
11. TERM AND APPROVAL. This Agreement shall become effective with
respect to a Fund when approved in accordance with the requirements of the 1940
Act, and shall thereafter continue from year to year, provided that the
continuation of the Agreement is specifically approved at least annually:
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(a) (i) by the Company's Board of Directors or (ii) by the
vote of "a majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the
Fund (as defined in Section 2(a)(42) of the 1940 Act), and
(b) by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Company's
Directors who are not parties to this Agreement or "interested
persons" (as defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of a party to this Agreement
(other than as Directors of the Company), by votes cast in person
at a meeting specifically called for such purpose.
12. TERMINATION. This Agreement may be terminated with respect to a
Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of the Company's
Board of Directors or by vote of a majority of a Fund's outstanding voting
securities, or by the Adviser, on sixty (60) days' written notice to the other
party. The notice provided for herein may be waived by the party entitled to
receipt thereof. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of
its assignment, the term "assignment" for purposes of this paragraph having the
meaning defined in Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act.
13. LIABILITY OF ADVISER. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on
the part of the Adviser or any of its officers, directors, employees or agents,
the Adviser shall not be subject to liability to the Company or to any
shareholder of the Company for any act or omission in the course of, or
connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be
sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
14. INDEMNIFICATION. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, negligence or reckless disregard of duties hereunder on the part of the
Adviser or any of its officers, directors, employees or agents, the Company
hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Adviser against all claims,
actions, suits or proceedings at law or in equity whether brought by a private
party or a governmental department, commission, board, bureau, agency or
instrumentality of any kind, arising from the advertising, solicitation, sale,
purchase or pledge of securities, whether of the Funds or other securities,
undertaken by the Funds, their officers, directors, employees or affiliates,
resulting from any violations of the securities laws, rules, regulations,
statutes and codes, whether federal or of any state, by the Funds, their
officers, directors, employees or affiliates. Federal and state securities laws
impose liabilities under certain circumstances on persons who act in good faith,
and nothing herein shall constitute a waiver or limitation of any rights which a
Fund may have and which may not be waived under any applicable federal and state
securities laws.
15. NOTICES. Any notices under this Agreement shall be in writing,
addressed and delivered or mailed postage paid to the other party at such
address as such other party may designate for the receipt of such notice. Until
further notice to the other party, it is agreed that the address of the Company
shall be c/o Stephens Inc., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ and that of the Adviser shall be ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.
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16. QUESTIONS OF INTERPRETATION. Any question of interpretation of
any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise
derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act shall be
resolved by reference to such terms or provision of the 1940 Act or the Advisers
Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States Courts or in
the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations
or orders of the Commission issued pursuant to the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act.
In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act or the Advisers
Act reflected in any provision of this Agreement is revised by rule, regulation
or order of the Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the
effect of such rule, regulation or order.
17. AMENDMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT. No provision of this Agreement
may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an
instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of the
change, waiver, discharge or termination is sought. No amendment of this
Agreement affecting a Fund shall be effective until approved by vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Fund. However, this shall
not prevent the Adviser from reducing, limiting or waiving its fee.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have cause this Agreement to
be executed in duplicate by their respective officers on the day and year first
written above.
NATIONS LIFEGOAL FUNDS, INC.
on behalf of the Funds
By: __________________________
A. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
President and Chairman of the
Board of Directors
NATIONSBANC ADVISORS, INC.
By: __________________________
▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
President and Director
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SCHEDULE I
LifeGoal Growth Portfolio
LifeGoal Balanced Growth Portfolio
LifeGoal Income and Growth Portfolio
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