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SIGNATURE BARBARA A. DWYER
TITLE EDGAR DEPT. HEAD
REPORT OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
The Board of Trustees
FAM Value Fund
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements of FAM Value
Fund for the year ended December 31, 1997, we considered its internal control,
including controls over safeguarding securities, in order to determine our
auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial
statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-SAR, not to provide
assurance on internal control.
The management of FAM Value Fund is responsible for establishing and maintaining
internal control. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by
management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of
controls. Generally, controls that are relevant to an audit pertain to the
entity's objective of preparing financial statements for external purposes that
are fairly presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles. Those controls include safeguarding of assets against unauthorized
acquisition, use or disposition.
Because of inherent limitations in internal control, errors or irregularities
may occur and may not be detected. Also, projection of any evaluation of
internal control to future periods is subject to the risk that it may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the effectiveness of the
design and operation may deteriorate.
Our consideration of internal control would not necessarily disclose all matters
in internal control that might be material weaknesses under standards
established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A
material weakness is a condition in which the design or operation of any
specific internal control component does not reduce to a relatively low level
the risk that errors or irregularities in amounts that would be material in
relation to the financial statements being audited may occur and not be detected
within a timely period by employees in the normal course of performing their
assigned functions. However, we noted no matters involving internal control,
including controls over safeguarding securities, that we consider to be material
weaknesses as defined above as of December 31, 1997.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of management and the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
McGLADREY & PULLEN, LLP
New York, New York
January 20, 1998
REPORT OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
The Board of Trustees
FAM Equity-Income Fund
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements of FAM
Equity-Income Fund for the year ended December 31, 1997, we considered its
internal control, including controls over safeguarding securities, in order to
determine our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on
the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-SAR, not
to provide assurance on internal control.
The management of FAM Equity-Income Fund is responsible for establishing and
maintaining internal control. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and
judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related
costs of controls. Generally, controls that are relevant to an audit pertain to
the entity's objective of preparing financial statements for external purposes
that are fairly presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles. Those controls include safeguarding of assets against unauthorized
acquisition, use or disposition.
Because of inherent limitations in internal control, errors or irregularities
may occur and may not be detected. Also, projection of any evaluation of
internal control to future periods is subject to the risk that it may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the effectiveness of the
design and operation may deteriorate.
Our consideration of internal control would not necessarily disclose all matters
in internal control that might be material weaknesses under standards
established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A
material weakness is a condition in which the design or operation of any
specific internal control component does not reduce to a relatively low level
the risk that errors or irregularities in amounts that would be material in
relation to the financial statements being audited may occur and not be detected
within a timely period by employees in the normal course of performing their
assigned functions. However, we noted no matters involving internal control,
including controls over safeguarding securities, that we consider to be material
weaknesses as defined above as of December 31, 1997.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of management and the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
McGLADREY & PULLEN, LLP
New York, New York
January 20, 1998
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