RULE 22C-2 AGREEMENT This Rule 22c-2 AGREEMENT (“22c-2 Agreement”), made and entered into as of this 15th day of August, 2010, by and among Metropolitan West Funds, (“Trust” or “Funds”), BNY Mellon Distributors Inc. (the “Distributor”) as principal...
| Exhibit 99-B(8.103) |
| RULE 22C-2 AGREEMENT |
| This Rule 22c-2 AGREEMENT (“22c-2 Agreement”), made and entered into as of this 15th day |
| of August, 2010, by and among Metropolitan West Funds, (“Trust” or “Funds”), BNY Mellon |
| Distributors Inc. (the “Distributor”) as principal underwriter for the Funds, and ING Life |
| Insurance and Annuity Company, ING National Trust, ING USA Annuity and Life Insurance |
| Company, ReliaStar Life Insurance Company, ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York, |
| Security Life of Denver Insurance Company and Systematized Benefits Administrators Inc. |
| (individually an “Intermediary” and collectively the “Intermediaries”) |
| WHEREAS, the Distributor, the Funds and the Intermediary have entered into a fund |
| participation and/or selling and service agreement dated August 15, 2010; |
| WHEREAS, the Intermediaries have adopted policies and procedures to monitor and deter |
| excessive trading activity within the mutual funds, including the Funds, available through the |
| variable annuity, variable life insurance and variable retirement plan products which they offer |
| (the “Variable Products”); |
| WHEREAS, the Intermediaries’ policies and procedures to monitor and deter excessive trading |
| activity within the mutual funds available through their Variable Products are attached hereto |
| and made part of this Agreement as Schedule B (the “Excessive Trading Policy”); |
| WHEREAS, the Fund desires for the Intermediaries to monitor and deter excessive trading |
| activity in the Funds in accordance with the Intermediaries’ Excessive Trading Policy; and |
| WHEREAS, the parties desire to otherwise comply with the requirements under Rule 22c-2 of |
| the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“Rule 22c-2”). |
| NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, which |
| consideration is full and complete, the Fund and the Intermediaries hereby agree as follows: |
| A. Agreement to Monitor and Deter Excessive Trading Activity. |
| 1. The Intermediaries agree to monitor and deter excessive trading activity in the Funds |
| which are available through their Variable Products in accordance with the Intermediaries’ |
| Excessive Trading Policy. Said Excessive Trading Policy may be amended from time to time |
| with the consent of the parties, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld |
| 2. The Intermediaries agree to provide the Fund with the taxpayer identification number |
| (“TIN”), if requested, or any other identifying factor that would provide acceptable assurances of |
| the identity of all shareholders that are restricted in the Fund to regular U.S. mail trading under |
| the Intermediaries’ Excessive Trading Policy. |
| 1 |
| B. Agreement to Provide Shareholder Information. | |
| 1. Each Intermediary agrees to provide the Fund, upon written request, the following | |
| shareholder information: | |
| a. | The taxpayer identification number or any other government issued identifier |
| (collectively known as “Identifier Numbers”), that would provide acceptable | |
| assurances of the identity of each shareholder that has purchased, redeemed, | |
| transferred or exchanged shares of a Fund through an account directly maintained by | |
| the Intermediaries during the period covered by the request; | |
| b. | The transaction type (purchase, redemption, transfer or exchange of shares); |
| c. | The amount and dates of the transactions corresponding to the Identifier Numbers; |
| and | |
| d. | Any other data mutually agreed upon in writing. |
| 2. Unless specifically requested by the Fund, the Intermediaries shall only be required to | |
| provide information relating to Covered Transactions. | |
| 3. Under this Agreement the term “Covered Transactions” are those transactions which the | |
| Intermediaries consider when determining whether trading activity is excessive as described in | |
| their Excessive Trading Policy under paragraph 1 of said Policy. | |
| 4. Requests to provide shareholder information shall set forth the specific period for which | |
| transaction information is sought. However, unless otherwise specified by the Funds to the | |
| Intermediaries, any such request will generally not cover a period of more than 90 consecutive | |
| calendar days from the date of the request. | |
| 5. The Intermediaries agree to provide, promptly upon request of the Funds the shareholder | |
| information requested. If requested by the Fund, the Intermediaries agree to use best efforts to | |
| determine promptly whether any specific person about whom they have received shareholder | |
| information is itself a financial intermediary (“indirect intermediary”) and, upon further request | |
| of the Fund, promptly either (i) provide (or arrange to have provided) shareholder information | |
| for those shareholders who hold an account with an indirect intermediary or (ii) restrict or | |
| prohibit the indirect intermediary from purchasing shares, in nominee name on behalf of other | |
| persons, securities issued by a Fund. Responses required by this paragraph must be | |
| communicated in writing and in a format mutually agreed upon by the parties. To the extent | |
| practicable, the format for any Shareholder Information provided to the Fund should be | |
| consistent with the NSCC Standardized Data Reporting Format. For purposes of this provision, | |
| an “indirect intermediary” has the same meaning as in Rule 22c-2 of the 1940 Act. | |
| 2 | |
| C. Agreement to Restrict Trading. | ||
| 1. | Each Intermediary agrees to execute written instructions from the Fund to restrict or | |
| prohibit further Covered Transactions involving Fund shares by a shareholder who has been | ||
| identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions in shares of a Fund (through an account | ||
| directly maintained by the Intermediary) that violate the policies established by the Funds for the | ||
| purposes of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding shares issued by | ||
| the Funds. Unless otherwise directed by the Fund, any such restrictions or prohibitions only | ||
| apply to Covered Transactions. | ||
| 2. | a. | For those shareholders whose information is on the Intermediaries’ books and |
| records, the Intermediaries agree to execute or have executed the written instructions | ||
| from the Fund or its designee to restrict or prohibit trading as soon as reasonably | ||
| practicable but not later than ten (10) business days after receipt of the instructions by | ||
| the Intermediaries. The Intermediaries will provide written confirmation to the Fund | ||
| as soon as reasonably practicable but not later than ten (10) business days after the | ||
| instructions have been executed. | ||
| b. | For those shareholders whose information is not on the Intermediaries’ books and | |
| records the Intermediaries agree to execute or have executed the written instructions | ||
| from the Fund to restrict or prohibit trading as soon as reasonably practicable after | ||
| receipt of the instructions by the Intermediaries. The Intermediaries will provide | ||
| written confirmation to the Fund as soon as reasonably practicable that such | ||
| instructions have or have not been executed. If an indirect intermediary is unable or | ||
| unwilling to restrict or prohibit trading by a Shareholder, upon the Funds’ written | ||
| request, the Intermediary will restrict or prohibit transactions in Fund Shares by the | ||
| indirect intermediary. | ||
| 3. | Instructions to restrict or prohibit Covered Transactions involving Fund shares must | |
| include: | ||
| a. | The reason for requesting the restriction(s) and/or prohibition(s), supporting details | |
| regarding the transaction activity which resulted in the restriction(s) and/or | ||
| prohibition(s)s and the applicable sections of the Fund’s frequent trading policy and | ||
| procedures that have been violated; | ||
| b. | The specific restriction(s) and/or prohibition(s) to be executed, including the length of | |
| time such restriction(s) and/or prohibition(s) shall remain in place; | ||
| c. | The TIN or any other government issued identifier, if known by the Fund, that would | |
| help the Intermediaries determine the identity of affected shareholder(s); and | ||
| d. | Whether such restriction(s) and/or prohibition(s) are to be executed in relation to all | |
| of the affected shareholder’s Variable Products, only the type of Variable Product(s) | ||
| through which the affected shareholder engaged in transaction activity which | ||
| triggered the restriction(s) and/or prohibition(s) or in some other respect. In absence | ||
| of direction from the Fund in this regard, restriction(s) and/or prohibition(s) shall be | ||
| 3 | ||
| executed as they relate to the Intermediary’s Variable Product(s) through which the affected | |
| shareholder engaged in the transaction activity which triggered the restriction(s) | |
| and/or prohibition(s). | |
| D. Limitation on Use of Information. | |
| The Fund agrees neither to use the information received from the Intermediary for any purpose | |
| other than to comply with SEC Rule 22c-2 and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, nor | |
| to share the information with anyone other than its employees who legitimately need access to it. | |
| Neither the Fund nor any of its affiliates or subsidiaries may use any information provided | |
| pursuant to this Agreement for marketing or solicitation purposes. The Fund will take such steps | |
| as are reasonably necessary to ensure compliance with this obligation. | |
| If a party to this Agreement becomes aware of any actual or suspected unauthorized access to or | |
| unauthorized use or disclosure to an unauthorized third party of any non-public personal | |
| financial information of a consumer provided or received pursuant to this Agreement and | |
| determines that there is a reasonable likelihood of harm resulting from such access, use or | |
| disclosure, such party promptly shall, at its expense: (i) notify the other party; (ii) investigate the | |
| circumstances relating to such actual or suspected unauthorized access, use or disclosure; (iii) | |
| take commercially reasonable steps to mitigate the effects of such unauthorized access, use or | |
| disclosure and to prevent any reoccurrence; (iv) provide to the other such information regarding | |
| such unauthorized access, use or disclosure as is reasonably required for the other party to | |
| evaluate the likely consequences and any regulatory or legal requirements arising out of such | |
| unauthorized access, use or disclosure; and (v) cooperate with the other party to further comply | |
| with all relevant laws, rules and regulations. | The party to this Agreement that causes the |
| unauthorized access, use or disclosure of such information shall indemnify and hold the other | |
| party, (and any of its directors, officers, employees, or agents) harmless from any damages, loss, | |
| cost, or liability (including reasonable legal fees ) arising in connection with a third party claim | |
| or action brought against the other party resulting from such unauthorized use, access or | |
| disclosure of the information provided or received pursuant to this Agreement | |
| In the event that the Fund is required by legal process, law, or regulation to disclose any | |
| information received from the Intermediaries pursuant to this Agreement, the Fund shall provide | |
| Intermediaries with prompt written notice of such requirement as far in advance of the proposed | |
| disclosure as possible so that the Intermediaries (at their expense) may either seek a protective | |
| order or other appropriate remedy which is necessary to protect their interests or waive | |
| compliance with this provision to the extent necessary. | |
| E. Prior Agreements. | |
| The parties acknowledge that prior to the effective date of this Agreement efforts to monitor and | |
| deter excessive trading activity within the Variable Products were governed by whatever | |
| practices the Fund and the Intermediaries agreed to follow in the absence of any formal | |
| agreement. The parties also acknowledge having previously entered into fund participation | |
| and/or selling and service agreements concerning the purchase and redemption of shares of | |
| Funds through the Variable Products. The terms of this Agreement supplement the fund | |
| 4 | |
| participation and/or selling and service agreements and to the extent the terms of this Agreement | ||
| conflict with the terms of the fund participation and/or selling and service agreements, the terms | ||
| of this Agreement will control. This Agreement will terminate upon termination of the fund | ||
| participation and/or selling and service agreements. | ||
| F. Notices. | ||
| 1. Except as otherwise provided, all notices and other communications hereunder shall be in | ||
| writing and shall be sufficient if delivered by hand or if sent by confirmed facsimile or e-mail, or | ||
| by mail, postage prepaid, addressed: | ||
| a. | If to Intermediaries, to: | |
| ING U.S. | Financial Services | |
| Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
| Address: | ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ | |
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, | ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ | |
| Phone: | ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ | |
| Fax: | ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ | |
| Email: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇▇ | |
| b. | If to the Distributor, to: | |
| Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
| Address: | ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ | |
| ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
| Phone: | ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ | |
| Fax: | ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ | |
| Email: | ▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ | |
| c. If to the Trust, to: | ||
| Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
| Address: | ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
| Phone: | (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ | |
| Fax: | (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ | |
| Email: | ▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇.▇▇▇ | |
| 2. The parties may by like notice, designate any future or different address to which | ||
| subsequent notices shall be sent. Any notice shall be deemed given when received. | ||
| [Remainder of page intentionally left blank. Signature page follows.] | ||
| 5 | ||
| IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be executed | |||
| in its name and on its behalf by its duly authorized officer as of the date first written above. | |||
| ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company | Systematized Benefits Administrators Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| Name and | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | Name and | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| Title: | Authorized Representative | Title: | Authorized Representative |
| ING National Trust | Security Life of Denver Insurance | ||
| Company | |||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| Name and | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | Name | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| Title: | Authorized Representative | and Title: | Authorized Representative |
| ING USA Annuity and Life Insurance | ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New | ||
| Company | York | ||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| Name and | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | Name and | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| Title: | Authorized Representative | Title: | Authorized Representative |
| ReliaStar Life Insurance Company | BNY Mellon Distributors Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ |
| Name and | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | Name | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ |
| Title: | Authorized Representative | and Title: | Assistant Vice President |
| Metropolitan West Funds | |||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
| Name and | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
| Title: | Treasurer | ||
| Digitally signed by ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |||
| DN: CN – ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, C = US, O = | |||
| PNC Global Investment Servicing, OU | |||
| = Legal | |||
| Reason: I am approving this document | |||
| Date: 2010.08.13 10:07:56 -04’00’ | |||
| 6 | |||
| Schedule A | |
| The Distributor is principal underwriter for each of the following Funds: | |
| Share | |
| Fund | Class |
| High Yield Bond Fund | M |
| Intermediate Bond Fund | M |
| Low Duration Bond Fund | M |
| Strategic Income Fund | M |
| Total Return Bond Fund | M |
| Ultra Short Bond Fund | M |
| AlphaTrak 500 Fund | M |
| High Yield Bond Fund | I |
| Intermediate Bond Fund | I |
| Low Duration Bond Fund | I |
| Strategic Income Fund | I |
| Total Return Bond Fund | I |
| Ultra Short Bond Fund | I |
| Total Return Bond Fund | N |
| Low Duration Bond Fund | N |
| A-1 | |
| Schedule B | ||
| ING “Excessive Trading” Policy | ||
| The ING family of companies (“ING”), as providers of multi-fund variable insurance and retirement | ||
| products, has adopted this Excessive Trading Policy to respond to the demands of the various fund | ||
| families which make their funds available through our variable insurance and retirement products to | ||
| restrict excessive fund trading activity and to ensure compliance with Section 22c-2 of the Investment | ||
| Company Act of 1940, as amended. ING’s current definition of Excessive Trading and our policy with | ||
| respect to such trading activity is outlined below. | ||
| 1. | ING actively monitors fund transfer and reallocation activity within its variable insurance and | |
| retirement products to identify Excessive Trading. | ||
| ING currently defines Excessive Trading as: | ||
| a. | More than one purchase and sale of the same fund (including money market funds) within a | |
| 60 calendar day period (hereinafter, a purchase and sale of the same fund is referred to as a | ||
| “round-trip”). This means two or more round-trips involving the same fund within a 60 | ||
| calendar day period would meet ING’s definition of Excessive Trading; or | ||
| b. | Six round-trips within a twelve month period. | |
| The following transactions are excluded when determining whether trading activity is excessive: | ||
| a. | Purchases or sales of shares related to non-fund transfers (for example, new purchase | |
| payments, withdrawals and loans); | ||
| b. | Transfers associated with scheduled dollar cost averaging, scheduled rebalancing or | |
| scheduled asset allocation programs; | ||
| c. | Purchases and sales of fund shares in the amount of $5,000 or less; | |
| d. | Purchases and sales of funds that affirmatively permit short-term trading in their fund shares, | |
| and movement between such funds and a money market fund; and | ||
| e. | Transactions initiated by a member of the ING family of insurance companies. | |
| 2. | If ING determines that an individual has made a purchase of a fund within 60 days of a prior round- | |
| trip involving the same fund, ING will send them a letter warning that another sale of that same fund | ||
| within 60 days of the beginning of the prior round-trip will be deemed to be Excessive Trading and | ||
| result in a six month suspension of their ability to initiate fund transfers or reallocations through the | ||
| Internet, facsimile, Voice Response Unit (VRU), telephone calls to the ING Customer Service | ||
| Center, or other electronic trading medium that ING may make available from time to time | ||
| (“Electronic Trading Privileges”). Likewise, if ING determines that an individual has made five | ||
| round-trips within a twelve month period, ING will send them a letter warning that another purchase | ||
| and sale of that same fund within twelve months of the initial purchase in the first round-trip in the | ||
| prior twelve month period will be deemed to be Excessive Trading and result in a six month | ||
| suspension of their Electronic Trading Privileges. According to the needs of the various business | ||
| units, a copy of the warning letters may also be sent, as applicable, to the person(s) or entity | ||
| authorized to initiate fund transfers or reallocations, the agent/registered representative or investment | ||
| adviser for that individual. A copy of the warning letters and details of the individual’s trading | ||
| activity may also be sent to the fund whose shares were involved in the trading activity. | ||
| B-1 | ||
| 3. | If ING determines that an individual has used one or more of its products to engage in Excessive |
| Trading, ING will send a second letter to the individual. This letter will state that the individual’s | |
| Electronic Trading Privileges have been suspended for a period of six months. Consequently, all | |
| fund transfers or reallocations, not just those which involve the fund whose shares were involved in | |
| the Excessive Trading activity, will then have to be initiated by providing written instructions to ING | |
| via regular U.S. mail. During the six month suspension period, electronic “inquiry only” privileges | |
| will be permitted where and when possible. A copy of the letter restricting future transfer and | |
| reallocation activity to regular U.S. mail and details of the individual’s trading activity may also be | |
| sent to the fund whose shares were involved in the Excessive Trading activity. | |
| 4. | Following the six month suspension period during which no additional Excessive Trading is |
| identified, Electronic Trading Privileges may again be restored. ING will continue to monitor the | |
| fund transfer and reallocation activity, and any future Excessive Trading will result in an indefinite | |
| suspension of the Electronic Trading Privileges. Excessive Trading activity during the six month | |
| suspension period will also result in an indefinite suspension of the Electronic Trading Privileges. | |
| 5. | ING reserves the right to limit fund trading or reallocation privileges with respect to any individual, |
| with or without prior notice, if ING determines that the individual’s trading activity is disruptive, | |
| regardless of whether the individual’s trading activity falls within the definition of Excessive | |
| Trading set forth above. Also, ING’s failure to send or an individual’s failure to receive any | |
| warning letter or other notice contemplated under this Policy will not prevent ING from suspending | |
| that individual’s Electronic Trading Privileges or taking any other action provided for in this Policy. | |
| 6. | Each fund available through ING’s variable insurance and retirement products, either by prospectus |
| or stated policy, has adopted or may adopt its own excessive/frequent trading policy. ING reserves | |
| the right, without prior notice, to implement restrictions and/or block future purchases of a fund by | |
| an individual who the fund has identified as violating its excessive/frequent trading policy. All such | |
| restrictions and/or blocking of future fund purchases will be done in accordance with the directions | |
| ING receives from the fund. | |
| B-2 | |
