<PAGE>
SECURITY EQUITY FUND
CLASS S
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, made this 21st day of July, 2000, between Security Equity Fund,
a Kansas corporation (hereinafter referred to as the "Company"), and Security
Distributors, Inc., a Kansas corporation (hereinafter referred to as the
"Distributor").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Company is engaged in business as an open-end, management
investment company registered under the federal Investment Company Act of 1940
(the "1940 Act");
WHEREAS, the Company issues its stock in several series; and
WHEREAS, the Distributor is willing to act as principal underwriter for the
Company to offer for sale, sell and deliver after sale, the Class S Shares of
each of the Company's Series of common stock (hereinafter referred to as the
"Shares") on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein
set forth, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. EMPLOYMENT OF DISTRIBUTOR. The Company hereby employs the Distributor to
act as principal underwriter for the Company with respect to its Class S
Shares and hereby agrees that during the term of this Agreement, and any
renewal or extension thereof, or until any prior termination thereof, the
Distributor shall have the exclusive right to offer for sale and to
distribute any and all of the Class S Shares issued or to be issued by the
Company. The Distributor hereby accepts such employment and agrees to act
as the distributor of the Class S Shares issued or to be issued by the
Company during the period this Agreement is in effect and agrees during
such period to offer for sale such Shares as long as such Shares remain
available for sale, unless the Distributor is unable legally to make such
offer for sale as the result of any law or governmental regulation.
2. OFFERING PRICE AND COMMISSIONS. Prior to the issuance of any Shares by the
Company pursuant to any subscription tendered by or through the Distributor
and confirmed for sale to or through the Distributor, the Distributor shall
pay or cause to be paid to the custodian of the Company in cash, an amount
equal to the net asset value of such Shares at the time of acceptance of
each such subscription and confirmation by the Company of the sale of such
Shares. All Shares shall be sold to the public only at their public
offering price at the time of such sale, and the Company shall receive not
less than the full net asset value thereof.
3. ALLOCATION OF EXPENSES AND CHARGES. During the period this Agreement is in
effect, the Company shall pay all costs and expenses in connection with the
registration of Shares under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act"),
including all expenses in connection with the preparation and printing of
any registration statements and prospectuses necessary for registration
thereunder but excluding any additional costs and expenses incurred in
furnishing the Distributor with prospectuses.
The Company also will pay all costs, expenses and fees incurred in
connection with the qualification of the Shares under the applicable Blue
Sky laws of the states in which the Shares are offered.
During the period this Agreement is in effect, the Distributor will pay or
reimburse the Company for:
(a) All costs and expenses of printing and mailing prospectuses (other
than to existing shareholders) and confirmations, and all costs and
expenses of preparing, printing and mailing advertising material,
sales literature, circulars, applications, and other materials used or
to be used in connection with the offering for sale and the sale of
Shares; and
(b) All clerical and administrative costs in processing the applications
for and in connection with the sale of Shares.
The Distributor agrees to submit to the Company for its prior approval all
advertising material, sales literature, circulars and any other material
which the Distributor proposes to use in connection with the offering for
sale of Shares.
4. REDEMPTION OF SHARES. The Distributor, as agent of and for the account of
the Fund, may redeem Shares of the Fund offered for resale to it at the net
asset value of such Shares (determined as provided in the then-current
registration statement of the Fund) and not in excess of such maximum
amounts as may be fixed from time to time by an officer of the Fund.
Whenever the officers of the Fund deem it advisable for the protection of
the shareholders of the Fund, they may suspend or cancel such authority.
5. SALES CHARGES. A contingent deferred sales charge shall be retained by the
Distributor from the net asset value of Shares of the Fund that it has
redeemed, it being understood that such amounts will not be in excess of
that set forth in the then-current registration statement of the Fund.
Furthermore, the Distributor may retain any amounts authorized for payment
to it under the Fund's Distribution Plan.
6. DISTRIBUTOR MAY ACT AS BROKER AND RECEIVE COMMISSIONS. Notwithstanding any
other provisions of this Agreement, it is understood and agreed that the
Distributor may act as a broker, on behalf of the Company, in the purchase
and sale of securities not effected on a securities exchange, provided that
any such transactions and any commission paid in connection therewith shall
comply in every respect with the requirements of the 1940 Act and in
particular with Section 17(e) of that Act and the rules and regulations of
the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder.
7. BROKERAGE ENHANCEMENT PLAN.
(a) The Fund may direct SDI to take appropriate actions to effect the
purposes of the Brokerage Enhancement Plan (the "Brokerage Plan"), as
may be amended from time to time, and SDI, when so directed by the
Fund, shall take such actions, which may include, but are not
necessarily limited to, directing, on behalf of the Fund or a Series,
and subject to the standards described in the Brokerage Plan, Security
Management Company, LLC or a Sub-Advisor to allocate transactions for
the purchase or sale of portfolio securities in a manner intended to
increase the distribution of the Fund's shares.
(b) In accordance with the terms of the Brokerage Plan, the Fund, on
behalf of a Series, shall make available to SDI, amounts derived from
brokerage commissions paid by the Series in connection with its
portfolio transactions. Such amounts shall be expended by SDI to
finance the distribution related activities described in the Plan. The
Fund, on behalf of a Series, shall also make available to SDI, the
brokerage credits, benefits or other services received from
broker-dealers executing portfolio transactions on behalf of a Series.
Such credits, benefits or other services shall be used by SDI to
finance the distribution related activities described in the Plan.
8. REPORTS. SDI shall prepare reports for the Board of Directors of the Fund
on a quarterly basis showing such information as shall be reasonably
requested by the Board from time to time.
9. AGREEMENTS SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE LAW AND REGULATIONS. The parties hereto
agree that all provisions of this Agreement will be performed in strict
accordance with the requirements of: the 1940 Act, the 1933 Act, the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission under said statutes, all applicable
state Blue Sky laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, the rules of
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., and, in strict
accordance with, the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
of the Company.
10. DURATION AND TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall become
effective at the date and time that the Company's prospectus, reflecting
the underwriting arrangements provided by this Agreement, shall become
effective under the 1933 Act, and shall, unless terminated as provided
herein, continue in force for two years from that date, and from year to
year thereafter, provided that such continuance for each successive year is
specifically approved in advance at least annually by either the Board of
Directors or by the vote of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the
outstanding voting securities of the Class S shares of the Series and, in
either event, by the vote of a majority of the directors of the Company who
are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such party,
cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting upon such
approval. As used in the preceding sentence, the words "interested persons"
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of any
penalty by the Company by giving the Distributor at least sixty (60) days'
previous written notice of such intention to terminate. This Agreement may
be terminated by the Distributor at any time by giving the Company at least
sixty (60) days' previous written notice of such intention to terminate.
This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its
assignment. As used in the preceding sentence, the word "assignment" shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act.
11. CONSTRUCTION OF AGREEMENT. No provision of this Agreement is intended to or
shall be construed as protecting the Distributor against any liability to
the Company or to the Company's security holders to which the Distributor
would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or
gross negligence in the performance of its duties under this Agreement.
Terms or words used in the Agreement, which also occur in the Articles of
Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company, shall have the same meaning herein
as given to such terms or words in the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws
of the Company.
12. DISTRIBUTOR AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. The Distributor shall be deemed to
be an independent contractor and, except as expressly provided or
authorized by the Company, shall have no authority to act for or represent
the Company.
13. NOTICE. Any notice required or permitted to be given hereunder to either of
the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given if mailed by
certified mail in a postage-prepaid envelope addressed to the respective
party as follows, unless any such party has notified the other party hereto
that notices thereafter intended for such party shall be mailed to some
other address, in which event notices thereafter shall be addressed to such
party at the address designated in such request:
Security Equity Fund
Security Benefit Group Building
700 Harrison
Topeka, Kansas 66636-0001
Security Distributors, Inc.
Security Benefit Group Building
700 Harrison
Topeka, Kansas 66636-0001
14. AMENDMENT OF AGREEMENT. No amendment to this Agreement shall be effective
until approved by (a) a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company
and a majority of the directors of the Company who are not parties to this
Agreement or affiliated persons of any such party, or (b) a vote of the
holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Class S
shares of the Series.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed
by their respective corporate officers thereto duly authorized on the day, month
and year first above written.
SECURITY EQUITY FUND
BY: JAMES R. SCHMANK
-----------------------------
James R. Schmank, President
ATTEST:
AMY J. LEE
---------------------------------
Amy J. Lee, Secretary
SECURITY DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
BY: GREGORY J. GARVIN
-----------------------------
Gregory J. Garvin, President
ATTEST:
AMY J. LEE
---------------------------------
Amy J. Lee, Secretary
