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EXHIBIT (m)(1)(vi)
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION PURSUANT TO RULE 12B-1
VAN KAMPEN SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND
The plan set forth below (the "Distribution Plan") is the written plan
contemplated by Rule 12b-1 (the "Rule") under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), for the VAN KAMPEN SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND (the
"Fund"), a series of the Van Kampen Equity Trust (the "Trust"). This
Distribution Plan describes the material terms and conditions under which assets
of the Fund may be used in connection with financing distribution related
activities with respect to each of its classes of shares of beneficial interest
(the "Shares"), each of which is offered and sold subject to a different
combination of front-end sales charges, distribution fees, service fees and
contingent deferred sales charges.(1) Classes of shares, if any, subject to a
front-end sales charge and a distribution and/or service fee are referred to
herein as "Front-End Classes" and the Shares of such classes are referred to
herein as "Front-End Shares." Classes of shares, if any, subject to a
contingent-deferred sales charge and a distribution and/or a service fee are
referred to herein as "CDSC Classes" and Shares of such classes are referred to
herein as "CDSC Shares." Classes of shares, if any, subject to a front-end sales
charge, a contingent-deferred sales charge and a distribution and/or service fee
are referred to herein as "Combination Classes" and Shares of such class are
referred to herein as "Combination Shares."
The Fund has adopted a service plan (the "Service Plan") pursuant to
which the Fund is authorized to expend on an annual basis a portion of its
average net assets attributable to any or each class of Shares in connection
with the provision by the principal underwriter (within the meaning of the 1940
Act) of the Shares and by brokers, dealers and other financial intermediaries
(collectively, "Financial Intermediaries") of personal services to holders of
Shares and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. The Fund also has entered
into a distribution and services agreement (the "Distribution and Services
Agreement") with Van Kampen American Capital Inc. (the "Distributor"), pursuant
to which the Distributor acts as the principal underwriter with respect to each
class of Shares and provides services to the Fund and acts as agent on behalf of
the Fund in connection with the implementation of the Service Plan. The
Distributor may enter into selling agreements (the "Selling Agreements") with
Financial Intermediaries in order to implement the Distribution and Services
Agreement, the Service Plan and this Distribution Plan.
1. The Fund hereby is authorized to pay the Distributor a distribution fee
with respect to each class of its Shares to compensate the Distributor for
activities which are primarily intended to result in the sale of such Shares
("distribution related activities") performed by the Distributor with respect to
the respective class of Shares of the Fund. Such distribution related activities
include without limitation: (a) printing and distributing copies of any
prospectuses and annual and interim reports of the Fund (after the Fund has
prepared and set in type such materials) that are used by such Distributor in
connection with the offering of Shares; (b) preparing, printing or otherwise
manufacturing and distributing any other literature or materials of any nature
used by such Distributor in connection with promoting, distributing or offering
the Shares; (c) advertising, promoting and selling Shares to broker-dealers,
banks and the public; (d) distribution related overhead and the provision of
information programs and shareholder services intended to enhance the
attractiveness of investing in the Fund; (e) incurring initial outlay expenses
in connection with compensating Financial Intermediaries for (i) selling CDSC
Shares and Combination
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(1) The Fund is authorized to offer multiple classes of shares pursuant to
a Rule 18f-3 Plan adopted under the 1940 Act.
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Shares and (ii) providing personal services to shareholders and the maintenance
of shareholder accounts of all classes of Shares, including paying interest on
and incurring other carrying costs on funds borrowed to pay such initial
outlays; and (f) acting as agent for the Fund in connection with implementing
this Distribution Plan pursuant to the Selling Agreements.
2. The amount of the distribution fee hereby authorized with respect
to each class of Shares of the Fund shall be as follows:
3. With respect to Class A Shares, the distribution fee authorized hereby
and the service fee authorized pursuant to the Service Plan, in the aggregate,
shall not exceed on an annual basis 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets
attributable to Class A Shares sold on or after the date on which this
Distribution Plan is first implemented with respect to Class A Shares. The Fund
may pay a distribution fee as determined from time to time by its Board of
Trustees in an annual amount not to exceed the lesser of (i) (A) 0.25% of the
Fund's average daily net asset value during such year attributable to Class A
Shares sold on or after the date on which this Distribution Plan was first
implemented with respect to Class A Shares minus (B) the amount of the service
fee with respect to the Class A Shares actually expended during such year by the
Fund pursuant to the Service Plan and (ii) the actual amount of distribution
related expenses incurred by the Distributor with respect to Class A Shares.
4. With respect to Class B Shares, the distribution fee authorized hereby
and the service fee authorized pursuant to the Service Plan, in the aggregate,
shall not exceed on an annual basis 1.00% of the Fund's average daily net assets
attributable to Class B Shares sold on or after the date on which this
Distribution Plan is first implemented with respect to the Class B Shares. The
Fund may pay a distribution fee with respect to the Class B Shares as determined
from time to time by its Board of Trustees in an annual amount not to exceed the
lesser of (A) 0.75% of the Fund's average daily net asset value during such year
attributable to Class B Shares sold on or after the date on which this
Distribution Plan is first implemented with respect to the Class B Shares and
(B) the actual amount of distribution related expenses incurred by the
Distributor during such year plus prior unreimbursed distribution related
expenses less the amount of any contingent deferred sales charge paid to the
Distributor, in each case with respect to the Class B Shares sold on or after
the date on which this Distribution Plan is first implemented with respect to
the Class B Shares.
5. With respect to Class C Shares, the distribution fee authorized hereby
and the service fee authorized pursuant to the Service Plan, in the aggregate,
shall not exceed on an annual basis 1.00% of the Fund's average daily net assets
attributable to Class C Shares sold on or after the date on which this
Distribution Plan is first implemented with respect to the Class C Shares. The
Fund may pay a distribution fee with respect to the Class C Shares as determined
from time to time by its Board of Trustees in an annual amount not to exceed the
lesser of (A) 0.75% of the Fund's average daily net asset value during such year
attributable to Class C Shares sold on or after the date on which this
Distribution Plan is first implemented with respect to the Class C Shares and
(B) the actual amount of distribution related expenses incurred by the
Distributor during such year plus prior unreimbursed distribution related
expenses less the amount of any contingent deferred sales charge paid to the
Distributor, in each case with respect to the Class C Shares sold on or after
the date on which this Distribution Plan is first implemented with respect to
the Class C Shares.
6. Payments pursuant to this Distribution Plan shall not be made more
often than monthly upon receipt by the Fund of a separate written expense report
with respect to each class of Shares setting forth the expenses qualifying for
such reimbursement allocated to each class of Shares and the purposes thereof.
7. In the event that amounts payable hereunder with respect to shares of a
Front-End Class do not fully reimburse the Distributor for its actual
distribution related expenses with respect to the Shares of such class, there is
no carryforward of reimbursement obligations to succeeding years. In the event
the amounts payable hereunder with respect to shares of a CDSC Class or a
Combination Class do not fully reimburse the Distributor for its actual
distribution related expenses with respect to the Shares of the
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respective class, such unreimbursed distribution expenses will be carried
forward and paid by the Fund hereunder in future years so long as this
Distribution Plan remains in effect, subject to applicable laws and regulations.
Reimbursements for distribution related expenses payable hereunder with respect
to a particular class of Shares may not be used to subsidize the sale of Shares
of any other class of Shares.
8. The Fund shall not compensate the Distributor, and neither the Fund nor
the Distributor shall compensate any Financial Intermediary, for any
distribution related expenses incurred with respect to a class of Shares prior
to the later of (a) the implementation of this Distribution Plan with respect to
such class of Shares or (b) the date that such Financial Intermediary enters
into a Selling Agreement with the Distributor.
9. The Fund hereby authorizes the Distributor to enter into Selling
Agreements with certain Financial Intermediaries to provide compensation to such
Financial Intermediaries for activities and services of the type referred to in
Paragraph 1 hereof. Prior to the implementation of a Selling Agreement, such
agreement shall be approved by a majority of the Board of Trustees of the Trust
and a majority of the Disinterested Trustees (within the meaning of the 1940
Act) by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on
such Selling Agreements. The Distributor may reallocate all or a portion of its
distribution fee to such Financial Intermediaries as compensation for the
above-mentioned activities and services. Such reallocation shall be in an amount
as set forth from time to time in the Fund's prospectus. Such Selling Agreements
shall provide that the Financial Intermediaries shall provide the Distributor
with such information as is reasonably necessary to permit the Distributor to
comply with the reporting requirements set forth in Paragraphs 3 and 8 hereof.
10. Subject to the provisions of this Distribution Agreement, the Fund is
hereby authorized to pay a distribution fee to any person that is not an
"affiliated person" or "interested person" of the Fund or its "investment
adviser" or "principal underwriter" (as such terms are defined in the 1940 Act)
who provides any of the foregoing services for the Fund. Such fee shall be paid
only pursuant to written agreements between the Fund and such other person the
terms of which permit payments to such person only in accordance with the
provisions of this Distribution Agreement and which have the approval of a
majority of the Disinterested Trustees by vote cast separately with respect to
each class of Shares and cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such written agreement.
11. The Fund and the Distributor shall prepare separate written reports for
each class of Shares and shall submit such reports to the Fund's Board of
Trustees on a quarterly basis summarizing all payments made by them with respect
to each class of Shares pursuant to this Distribution Plan, the Service Plan and
the agreements contemplated hereby, the purposes for which such payments were
made and such other information as the Board of Trustees or the Disinterested
Trustees may reasonably request from time to time, and the Board of Trustees
shall review such reports and other information.
12. This Distribution Plan shall become effective upon its approval by (a)
a majority of the Board of Trustees and a majority of the Disinterested Trustees
by vote cast separately with respect to each class of Shares cast in person at a
meeting called for the purpose of voting on this Distribution Plan, and (b) with
respect to each class of Shares, a "majority of the outstanding voting
securities" (as such phrase is defined in the 1940 Act) of such class of Shares
voting separately as a class.
13. This Distribution Plan and any agreement contemplated hereby shall
continue in effect beyond the first anniversary of its adoption by the Board of
Trustees of the Fund only so long as (a) its continuation is approved at least
annually in the manner set forth in clause (a) of paragraph 9 above and (b) the
selection and nomination of those trustees of the Fund who are not "interested
persons" of the Fund are committed to the discretion of such trustees.
14. This Distribution Plan may be terminated with respect to a class of
Shares without penalty at any time by a majority of the Disinterested Trustees
or by a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" of
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the respective class of Shares of the Fund.
15. This Distribution Plan may not be amended to increase materially the
maximum amounts permitted to be expended hereunder except with the approval of a
"majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the respective class of
Shares of the Fund and may not be amended in any other material respect except
with the approval of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees. Amendments
required to conform this Distribution Plan to changes in the Rule or to other
changes in the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder shall not be
deemed to be material amendments.
16. To the extent any service fees paid by the Fund pursuant to the Service
Plan are deemed to be payments for the financing of any activity primarily
intended to result in the sale of Shares issued by the Fund within the meaning
of the Rule, the terms and provisions of such plan and any payments made
pursuant to such plan hereby are authorized pursuant to this Distribution Plan
in the amounts and for the purposes authorized in the Service Plan without any
further action by the Board of Trustees or the shareholders of the Fund. To the
extent the terms and provisions of the Service Plan conflict with the terms and
provisions of this Distribution Plan, the terms and provisions of the Service
Plan shall prevail with respect to amounts payable pursuant thereto. This
paragraph 13 is adopted solely due to the uncertainty that may exist with
respect to whether payments to be made by the Fund pursuant to the Service Plan
constitute payments primarily intended to result in the sale of Shares issued by
the Fund within the meaning of the Rule.
17. The Trustees of the Trust have adopted this Distribution Plan as
trustees under the Declaration of Trust of the Trust and the policies of the
Trust adopted hereby are not binding upon any of the Trustees or shareholders of
the Trust individually, but bind only the trust estate.
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