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EXHIBIT m(9)
FOURTH
AMENDED AND RESTATED
MASTER DISTRIBUTION PLAN
OF
AIM FUNDS GROUP
(CLASS A SHARES AND CLASS C SHARES)
SECTION 1. AIM Funds Group, a Delaware business trust (the "Fund"), on
behalf of the series of shares of beneficial interest set forth in Schedule A to
this plan (the "Portfolios"), may act as a distributor of the Class A Shares and
Class C Shares of the Portfolios as described in Schedule A to this plan (the
"Shares") of which the Fund is the issuer, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"), according to the terms of this
Distribution Plan (the "Plan").
SECTION 2. The Fund may incur as a distributor of the Shares, expenses
at the rates set forth in Schedule A per annum of the average daily net assets
of the Fund attributable to the Shares, subject to any applicable limitations
imposed from time to time by applicable rules of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc.
SECTION 3. Amounts set forth in Schedule A may be expended when and if
authorized in advance by the Fund's Board of Trustees. Such amounts may be used
to finance any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of the
Shares, including, but not limited to, expenses of organizing and conducting
sales seminars, advertising programs, finders fees, printing of prospectuses and
statements of additional information (and supplements thereto) and reports for
other than existing shareholders, preparation and distribution of advertising
material and sales literature, supplemental payments to dealers and other
institutions as asset-based sales charges. Amounts set forth in Schedule A may
also be used to finance payments of service fees under a shareholder service
arrangement to be established by A I M Distributors, Inc. ("Distributors") as
the Fund's distributor in accordance with Section 4, and the costs of
administering the Plan. To the extent that amounts paid hereunder are not used
specifically to reimburse Distributors for any such expense, such amounts may be
treated as compensation for Distributors' distribution-related services. All
amounts expended pursuant to the Plan shall be paid to Distributors and are the
legal obligation of the Fund and not of Distributors. That portion of the
amounts paid under the Plan that is not paid or advanced by Distributors to
dealers or other institutions that provide personal continuing shareholder
service as a service fee pursuant to Section 4 shall be deemed an asset-based
sales charge. No provision of this Plan shall be interpreted to prohibit any
payments by the Fund during periods when the Fund has suspended or otherwise
limited sales.
SECTION 4.
(a) Amounts expended by the Fund under the Plan shall
be used in part for the implementation by Distributors of
shareholder service arrangements. The maximum service fee paid
to any service provider shall be twenty-five one-hundredths of
one percent (0.25%), or such lower rate for the Portfolio as
is specified on Schedule A, per annum of the average daily net
assets of the Fund attributable to the Shares owned by the
customers of such service provider.
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(b) Pursuant to this program, Distributors may enter
into agreements substantially in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit A ("Service Agreements") with such broker-dealers
("Dealers") as may be selected from time to time by
Distributors for the provision of distribution-related
personal shareholder services in connection with the sale of
Shares to the Dealers' clients and customers ("Customers") to
Customers who may from time to time directly or beneficially
own Shares. The distribution-related personal continuing
shareholder services to be rendered by Dealers under the
Service Agreements may include, but shall not be limited to,
the following: (i) distributing sales literature; (ii)
answering routine Customer inquiries concerning the Fund and
the Shares; (iii) assisting Customers in changing dividend
options, account designations and addresses, and in enrolling
into any of several retirement plans offered in connection
with the purchase of Shares; (iv) assisting in the
establishment and maintenance of customer accounts and
records, and in the processing of purchase and redemption
transactions; (v) investing dividends and capital gains
distributions automatically in Shares; and (vi) providing such
other information and services as the Fund or the Customer may
reasonably request.
(c) Distributors may also enter into Bank Shareholder
Service Agreements substantially in the form attached hereto
as Exhibit B ("Bank Agreements") with selected banks acting in
an agency capacity for their customers ("Banks"). Banks acting
in such capacity will provide some or all of the shareholder
services to their customers as set forth in the Bank
Agreements from time to time.
(d) Distributors may also enter into Variable Group
Annuity Contractholder Service Agreements substantially in the
form attached hereto as Exhibit C ("Variable Contract
Agreements") with selected insurance companies ("Companies")
offering variable annuity contracts to employers as funding
vehicles for retirement plans qualified under Section 401(a)
of the Internal Revenue Code, where amounts contributed under
such plans are invested pursuant to such variable annuity
contracts in Shares of the Fund. The Companies receiving
payments under such Variable Contract Agreements will provide
specialized services to contractholders and plan participants,
as set forth in the Variable Contract Agreements from time to
time.
(e) Distributors may also enter into Agency Pricing
Agreements substantially in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit D ("Pricing Agreements") with selected retirement plan
service providers acting in an agency capacity for their
customers ("Retirement Plan Providers"). Retirement Plan
Providers acting in such capacity will provide some or all of
the shareholders services to their customers as set forth in
the Pricing Agreements from time to time.
(f) Distributors may also enter into Shareholder
Service Agreements substantially in the form attached hereto
as Exhibit E ("Bank Trust Department Agreements and Brokers
for Bank Trust Department Agreements") with selected bank
trust departments and brokers for bank trust departments. Such
bank trust departments and brokers for bank trust departments
will provide some or all of the shareholder services to their
customers as set forth in the Bank Trust Department Agreements
and Brokers for Bank Trust Department Agreements.
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SECTION 5. Any amendment to this Plan that requires the approval of the
shareholders of a Class pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act shall become
effective as to such Class upon the approval of such amendment by a "majority of
the outstanding voting securities" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of such Class,
provided that the Board of Trustees of the Fund has approved such amendment in
accordance with the provisions of Section 6 of this Plan.
SECTION 6. This Plan, any amendment to this Plan and any agreements
related to this Plan shall become effective immediately upon the receipt by the
Fund of both (a) the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees of
the Fund, and (b) the affirmative of a majority of those trustees of the Fund
who are not "interested persons" of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) and
have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan or
any agreements related to it (the "Dis-interested Trustees"), cast in person at
a meeting called for the purpose of voting on this Plan or such agreements.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such amendment that requires the approval of
the shareholders of a Class of a Fund shall become effective as to such Class
until such amendment has been approved by the shareholders of such Class in
accordance with the provisions of Section 5 of this Plan.
SECTION 7. Unless sooner terminated pursuant to Section 9, this Plan
shall continue in effect until June 30, 2001 and thereafter shall continue in
effect so long as such continuance is specifically approved, at least annually,
in the manner provided for approval of this Plan in Section 6.
SECTION 8. Distributors shall provide to the Fund's Board of Trustees
and the Board of Trustees shall review, at least quarterly, a written report of
the amounts so expended and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.
SECTION 9. This Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority
of the Dis-interested Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the Shares. If this Plan is terminated, the obligation of
the Fund to make payments pursuant to this Plan will also cease and the Fund
will not be required to make any payments beyond the termination date even with
respect to expenses incurred prior to the termination date.
SECTION 10. Any agreement related to this Plan shall be made in writing,
and shall provide:
(a) that such agreement may be terminated at any time,
without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the
Dis-interested Trustees or by a vote of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund attributable to the Shares, on not more
than sixty (60) days' written notice to any other party to the
agreement; and
(b) that such agreement shall terminate automatically
in the event of its assignment.
SECTION 11. This Plan may not be amended to increase materially the
amount of distribution expenses provided for in Section 2 hereof unless such
amendment is approved in the manner provided in Section 5 hereof, and no
material amendment to the Plan shall be made unless approved in the manner
provided for in Section 6 hereof.
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AIM FUNDS GROUP
(on behalf of its Class A Shares and
Class C Shares)
Attest: /s/ KATHLEEN J. PFLUEGER By: /s/ CAROL F. RELIHAN
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Assistant Secretary Senior Vice President
Effective as of August 31, 1993, as amended as of March 8, 1994 and September
10, 1994.
Amended and restated for all Portfolios as of June 30, 1997, as of August 4,
1997, as of June 30, 1998, and as of June 1, 2000.
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SCHEDULE A
TO
FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED MASTER DISTRIBUTION PLAN
OF
AIM FUNDS GROUP
(CLASS A SHARES AND CLASS C SHARES)
(DISTRIBUTION FEE)
The Fund shall pay the Distributor as full compensation for all services
rendered and all facilities furnished under the Distribution Plan for each
Portfolio (or Class thereof) designated below, a Distribution Fee* determined by
applying the annual rate set forth below as to each Portfolio (or Class thereof)
to the average daily net assets of the Portfolio (or Class thereof) for the plan
year, computed in a manner used for the determination of the offering price of
shares of the Portfolio.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MINIMUM
ASSET
PORTFOLIO BASED MAXIMUM MAXIMUM
SALES SERVICE AGGREGATE
CLASS A SHARES CHARGE FEE FEE
-------------- ------- ------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
AIM Balanced Fund 0.00% 0.25% 0.25%
AIM Global Utilities Fund 0.00% 0.25% 0.25%
AIM Select Growth Fund 0.00% 0.25% 0.25%
AIM Value Fund 0.00% 0.25% 0.25%
MAXIMUM
ASSET
BASED MAXIMUM MAXIMUM
SALES SERVICE AGGREGATE
CLASS C SHARES CHARGE FEE FEE
-------------- ------- ------- ---------
AIM Balanced Fund 0.75% 0.25% 1.00%
AIM Global Utilities Fund 0.75% 0.25% 1.00%
AIM Select Growth Fund 0.75% 0.25% 1.00%
AIM Value Fund 0.75% 0.25% 1.00%
</TABLE>
The Distributor will waive part or all of its Distribution Fee as to a
Portfolio (or Class thereof) to the extent that the ordinary business expenses
of the Portfolio exceed the expense limitation as to the Portfolio (if any) as
contained in the Master Investment Advisory Agreement between the Company and A
I M Advisors, Inc.
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* The Distribution Fee is payable apart from the sales charge, if any, as
stated in the current prospectus for the applicable Portfolio (or Class
thereof).
