<PAGE>
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JULY 29, 1997
REGISTRATION NO. 33-94210
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-4
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ( )
Pre-Effective Amendment No. ( )
Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 (X)
and
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 ( )
Amendment No. 3 (X)
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
SEPARATE ACCOUNT C
(Exact Name of Registrant)
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
(Formerly National Home Life Assurance Company of New York)
(Name of Depositor)
520 Columbia Drive
Johnson City, New York 13790
(Address of Depositor's Principal Executive Office)
Depositor's Telephone Number: (607) 772-8750
Kimberly A. Scouller, Esq.
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
400 West Market Street
P.O. Box 32830
Louisville, Kentucky 40232
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
Michael Berenson, Esquire
Margaret E. Hankard, Esquire
Jorden Burt Berenson & Johnson LLP
1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W.
Suite 400 East
Washington, D.C. 20007-0805
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
[X] Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.
On _____________, pursuant to paragraph (b)(1)(v) of Rule 485.
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485.
On _____________, pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485.
75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.
On _____________, 1995 pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.
Pursuant to Rule 24f-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has
elected to register an indefinite amount of securities being offered pursuant to
this Registration Statement. Pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of Rule 24f-2 of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant need not file a Rule 24f-2 Notice
because it did not sell any securities pursuant to such declaration during the
fiscal year ended December 31, 1996.
<PAGE>
PURSUANT TO RULE 481
SHOWING LOCATION IN PART A (PROSPECTUS) AND PART B
(STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION) OF REGISTRATION
STATEMENT OF INFORMATION REQUIRED BY FORM N-4
PART A
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ITEM OF
- - -------
FORM N-4 PROSPECTUS CAPTION
- - -------- ------------------
<S> <C>
1. Cover Page............................. Cover Page
2. Definitions............................ GLOSSARY
3. Synopsis............................... HIGHLIGHTS; FEE TABLE;
Performance Measures
4. Condensed Financial Information........ Condensed Financial Information
5. General Description of Registrant,
Depositor, and Portfolio Companies..... First Providian Life and
Health Insurance Company;
First Providian Life and
Health Insurance Company
Separate Account C; The
Portfolios; Voting Rights
6. Deductions............................. Charges and Deductions;
FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS;
FEE TABLE
7. General Description of Variable Annuity CONTRACT FEATURES;
Contracts.............................. Distribution-at-Death Rules;
Voting Rights; Allocation of
Purchase Payments; Exchanges
Among the Portfolios;
Additions, Deletions, or
Substitutions of Investments
8. Annuity Period......................... Annuity Payment Options
9. Death Benefit.......................... Death of Annuitant Prior to
Annuity Date
10. Purchases and Contract Value........... Contract Application and
Purchase Payments; Accumulated
Value
11. Redemptions............................ Full and Partial Withdrawals;
Annuity Payment Options; Right
to Cancel Period
12. Taxes.................................. FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS
13. Legal Proceedings...................... Part B: Legal Proceedings
14. Table of Contents of the Statement
of Additional Information.............. Table of Contents of the
Providian Marquee Statement of
Additional Information
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
PART B
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ITEM OF STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL
- - ------- -----------------------
FORM N-4 INFORMATION CAPTION
- - -------- -------------------
<S> <C>
15. Cover Page............................. Cover Page
16. Table of Contents...................... Table of Contents
17. General Information and History........ THE COMPANY
18. Services............................... Part A: Auditors; Part B:
SAFEKEEPING OF ACCOUNT
ASSETS; DISTRIBUTION OF THE
CONTRACTS
19. Purchase of Securities Being DISTRIBUTION OF THE
Offered................................ CONTRACTS; Exchanges
20. Underwriters........................... DISTRIBUTION OF THE
CONTRACTS
21. Calculation of Performance Data........ PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
22. Annuity Payments....................... Computations of Annuity Income
Payments
23. Financial Statements................... FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
SEPARATE ACCOUNT C
PROSPECTUS
FOR THE
PROVIDIAN MARQUEE VARIABLE ANNUITY
OFFERED BY
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
(A NEW YORK STOCK COMPANY)
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
520 COLUMBIA DRIVE
JOHNSON CITY, NEW YORK 13790
The Providian Marquee variable annuity contract (the "Contract"), offered
through First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company (the "Company",
"us", "we" or "our"), provides a vehicle for investing on a tax-deferred basis
in 12 investment company Portfolios. The Contract is a group variable annuity
contract and is intended for retirement savings or other long-term investment
purposes.
The minimum initial Purchase Payment for Non-Qualified Contracts is $5,000.
The minimum initial Purchase Payment for Qualified Contracts is $2,000 (or $50
monthly by payroll deduction). The Contract is a flexible-premium deferred
variable annuity that provides for a Right to Cancel Period of 10 days (20
days for replacement) plus a 5 day grace period to allow for mail delivery,
during which you may cancel your investment in the Contract.
Your Net Purchase Payments for the Contract may be allocated among 12
Subaccounts of First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company's Separate
Account C. Assets of each Subaccount are invested in one of the following
Portfolios (which are contained within six open-end, diversified investment
companies):
. Fidelity VIP Money Market Portfolio
. T. Rowe Price Equity Income
Portfolio
. Fidelity VIP Equity-Income Portfolio
. T. Rowe Price New America
Growth Portfolio
. Fidelity VIP Growth Portfolio
. Fidelity VIP II Asset Manager Portfolio
. T. Rowe Price International
Stock Portfolio
. Dreyfus Growth and Income Portfolio
. Dreyfus Quality Bond Portfolio
. OpCap Advisors Managed
Portfolio
. OpCap Advisors Small Cap
Portfolio
. OpCap Advisors U.S. Government
Income Portfolio
Your initial Net Purchase Payment(s) will, when your Contract is issued, be
invested immediately in your chosen Portfolios, unless you indicate otherwise.
The Contract's Accumulated Value varies with the investment performance of the
Portfolios you select. You bear all investment risk associated with the
Portfolios. Investment results for your Contract are not guaranteed. The
Contract offers a number of ways of withdrawing monies at a future at any
time, although in many instances withdrawals made prior to age 59 1/2 are
subject to a 10% penalty tax (and a portion may be subject to ordinary income
taxes) and may be subject to a surrender charge of up to 7%. If you elect an
Annuity Payment Option, Annuity Payments may be received on a fixed and/or
variable basis. You also have significant flexibility in choosing the Annuity
Date on which Annuity Payments begin.
This Prospectus sets forth the information you should know before investing in
the Contract. It must be accompanied by a current Prospectus for each Fund.
Please read the Prospectuses carefully and retain them for future reference. A
Statement of Additional Information for the Contract Prospectus, which has the
same date as this Prospectus, has also been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, is incorporated herein by reference and is available free
by calling our Administrative Offices at 1-800-250-1828. The Table of Contents
of the Statement of Additional Information is included at the end of this
Prospectus.
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION, NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE
ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS
A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The Contract is available only in the State of New York.
THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH
SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE. NO DEALER, SALESMAN, OR OTHER PERSON
IS AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS IN
CONNECTION WITH THIS OFFERING OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS,
AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH OTHER INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE
RELIED UPON.
The date of this Prospectus is July 31, 1997.
FM-0979 (NY)
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PAGE
<S> <C>
GLOSSARY.................. 2
HIGHLIGHTS................ 5
FEE TABLE................. 7
Condensed Financial
Information.............. 10
Financial Statements...... 10
Performance Measures...... 10
Additional Performance
Measures................. 11
Yield and Effective Yield. 11
The Company and the
Separate Account......... 12
Variable Insurance
Products Fund and
Variable Insurance
Products Fund II......... 12
Dreyfus Variable
Investment Fund.......... 13
T. Rowe Price Equity
Series, Inc.............. 13
T. Rowe Price
International Series,
Inc...................... 13
OCC Accumulation Trust.... 13
The Portfolios............ 13
CONTRACT FEATURES......... 15
Right to Cancel Period.. 15
Contract Application and
Purchase Payments...... 15
Purchasing by Wire...... 16
Allocation of Purchase
Payments............... 16
Charges and Deductions.. 16
Accumulated Value....... 18
Exchanges Among the
Portfolios............. 18
Full and Partial
Withdrawals............ 18
Systematic Withdrawal
Option................. 19
Dollar Cost Averaging
Option................. 19
IRS-Required
Distributions.......... 20
Minimum Balance
Requirement............ 20
Designation of an
Annuitant's
Beneficiary............ 20
Death of Annuitant Prior
to Annuity Date........ 21
Annuity Date............ 21
Lump Sum Payment Option. 21
Annuity Payment Options. 21
Deferment of Payment.... 23
FEDERAL TAX
CONSIDERATIONS........... 23
GENERAL INFORMATION....... 27
</TABLE>
GLOSSARY
Accumulation Unit - A measure of your ownership interest in the Contract prior
to the Annuity Date.
Accumulation Unit Value - The value of each Accumulation Unit which is
calculated each Valuation Period.
Accumulated Value - The value of all amounts accumulated under the Contract
prior to the Annuity Date.
Adjusted Death Benefit - The sum of all Net Purchase Payments made during the
first six Contract Years, less any partial withdrawals taken. During each
subsequent six-year period, the Adjusted Death Benefit will be the Death
Benefit on the last day of the previous six-year period plus any Net Purchase
Payments made, less any partial withdrawals taken during the current six-year
period. After the Annuitant attains age 75, the Adjusted Death Benefit will
remain equal to the Death Benefit on the last day of the six-year period
before age 75 occurs plus any Net Purchase Payments subsequently made, less
any partial withdrawals subsequently taken.
Annual Contract Fee - The $30 annual fee charged by the Company to cover the
cost of administering each Contract. The Annual Contract Fee will be deducted
on each Contract Anniversary and upon surrender, on a pro rata basis, from
each Subaccount.
2
<PAGE>
Annuitant - The person whose life is used to determine the duration of any
Annuity Payments and upon whose death, prior to the Annuity Date, benefits
under the Contract are paid.
Annuitant's Beneficiary - The person(s) to whom any benefits are due upon the
Annuitant's death prior to the Annuity Date.
Annuity Date - The date on which Annuity Payments begin. The Annuity Date is
always the first day of the month you specify.
Annuity Payment - One of a series of payments made under an Annuity Payment
Option.
Annuity Payment Option - One of several ways in which withdrawals from the
Contract may be made. Under a Fixed Annuity Option (see "Annuity Payment
Options," page 21), the dollar amount of each Annuity Payment does not change
over time. Under a Variable Annuity Option (see "Annuity Payment Options,"
page 21), the dollar amount of each Annuity Payment may change over time,
depending upon the investment experience of the Portfolio or Portfolios you
choose. Annuity Payments are based on the Contract's Accumulated Value as of
10 Business Days prior to the Annuity Date.
Annuity Unit - Unit of measure used to calculate Variable Annuity Payments
(see "Annuity Payment Options," page 21).
Annuity Unit Value - The value of each Annuity Unit which is calculated each
Valuation Period.
Business Day - A day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.
Company ("we", "us", "our") - First Providian Life and Health Insurance
Company, a New York stock company.
Contract - The group flexible premium variable annuity contract described in
this Prospectus, participation in which may be evidenced by a certificate
issued to the Contract Owner.
Contract Anniversary - Any anniversary of the Contract Date.
Contract Date - The date of issue of this Contract.
Contract Owner ("you", "your") - The person or persons designated as the
Contract Owner in the Contract application. The term shall also include any
person named as Joint Owner. A Joint Owner shares ownership in all respects
with the Contract Owner. Prior to the Annuity Date, the Contract Owner has the
right to assign ownership, designate beneficiaries, make permitted withdrawals
and Exchanges among Subaccounts.
Contract Year - A period of 12 months starting with the Contract Date or any
Contract Anniversary.
Death Benefit - The greater of the Contract's Accumulated Value on the date
the Company receives due Proof of Death of the Annuitant or the Adjusted Death
Benefit.
Exchange - One Exchange will be deemed to occur with each voluntary transfer
from any Subaccount.
Funds - Each of (i) Variable Insurance Products Fund, (ii) Variable Insurance
Products Fund II, (iii) Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund, (iv) T. Rowe Price
Equity Series, Inc., (v) T. Rowe Price International Series, Inc. and (vi) OCC
Accumulation Trust. The Separate Account invests in the Portfolios contained
within the Funds.
General Account - The account which contains all of our assets other than
those held in our separate accounts.
Net Purchase Payment - Any Purchase Payment less the Premium Tax, if any.
Non-Qualified Contract - Any Contract other than those described under the
Qualified Contract reference in this Glossary.
Owner's Designated Beneficiary - The person to whom ownership of this Contract
passes upon the Contract Owner's death, unless the Contract Owner was also the
Annuitant--in which case the Annuitant's Beneficiary is
3
<PAGE>
entitled to the Death Benefit. (Note: this transfer of ownership to the
Owner's Designated Beneficiary will generally not be subject to probate, but
will be subject to estate and inheritance taxes. Consult with your tax and
estate adviser to be sure which rules will apply to you.)
Payee - The Contract Owner, Annuitant, Annuitant's Beneficiary, or any other
person, estate, or legal entity to whom benefits are to be paid.
Portfolio - A separate investment portfolio of the Funds. The Funds currently
offer 12 portfolios in the Providian Marquee variable annuity: the VIP Money
Market Portfolio ("Fidelity Money Market"), the VIP Equity-Income Portfolio
("Fidelity Equity-Income") and the VIP Growth Portfolio ("Fidelity Growth") of
Variable Insurance Products Fund; the VIP II Asset Manager Portfolio
("Fidelity Asset Manager") of Variable Insurance Products Fund II; the Dreyfus
Growth and Income Portfolio ("Dreyfus Growth and Income") and the Dreyfus
Quality Bond Portfolio ("Dreyfus Quality Bond") of Dreyfus Variable Investment
Fund; the T. Rowe Price Equity Income Portfolio ("T. Rowe Price Equity
Income") and the T. Rowe Price New America Growth Portfolio ("T. Rowe Price
New America Growth") of T. Rowe Price Equity Series, Inc.; the T. Rowe Price
International Stock Portfolio ("T. Rowe Price International Stock") of T. Rowe
Price International Series, Inc.; and the OpCap Advisors Managed Portfolio
("OpCap Advisors Managed"), the OpCap Advisors Small Cap Portfolio ("OpCap
Advisors Small Cap") and the OpCap Advisors U.S. Government Income Portfolio
("OpCap Advisors U.S. Government Income") of OCC Accumulation Trust (each, a
"Portfolio" and collectively, the "Portfolios"). In this Prospectus, Portfolio
will also be used to refer to the Subaccount that invests in the corresponding
Portfolio.
Premium Tax - A regulatory tax that may be assessed by your state on the
Purchase Payments you make to this Contract. The amount which we must pay as
Premium Tax, if any, will be deducted from each Purchase Payment or from your
Accumulated Value as it is incurred by us.
Proof of Death - (a) A certified death certificate; (b) a certified decree of
a court of competent jurisdiction as to the finding of death; (c) a written
statement by a medical doctor who attended the deceased; or (d) any other
proof of death satisfactory to the Company.
Purchase Payment - Any premium payment. The minimum initial Purchase Payment
is $5,000 for Non-Qualified Contracts and $2,000 for Qualified Contracts (or
$50 monthly by payroll deduction for Qualified Contracts); each additional
Purchase Payment must be at least $500 for Non-Qualified Contracts or $50 for
Qualified Contracts. Purchase Payments may be made at any time prior to the
Annuity Date as long as the Annuitant is living.
Qualified Contract - An annuity contract as defined under Sections 403(b) and
408(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").
Right to Cancel Period - The period during which the Contract can be canceled
and treated as void from the Contract Date.
Separate Account - That portion of First Providian Life and Health Insurance
Company Separate Account C dedicated to the Contract. The Separate Account
consists of assets that are segregated by First Providian Life and Health
Insurance Company and, for Contract Owners, invested in the Portfolios. The
Separate Account is independent of the general assets of the Company.
Subaccount - That portion of the Separate Account that invests in shares of
the Funds' Portfolios. Each Subaccount will only invest in a single Portfolio.
The investment performance of each Subaccount is linked directly to the
investment performance of one of the 12 Portfolios.
Surrender Value - The Accumulated Value, less any applicable contingent
deferred sales load (i.e., surrender charge) and any Premium Taxes incurred
but not yet deducted.
Valuation Period - The relative performance of your Contract is measured by
the Accumulation Unit Value. This value is calculated each Valuation Period. A
Valuation Period is defined as the period of time between the close of
business on one Business Day and the close of business on the following
Business Day.
4
<PAGE>
HIGHLIGHTS
You can find definitions of important terms in the Glossary (page 2).
THE PROVIDIAN MARQUEE VARIABLE ANNUITY
The Contract provides a vehicle for investing on a tax-deferred basis in 12
investment company Portfolios. Monies may be subsequently withdrawn from the
Contract either as a lump sum or as annuity income as permitted under the
Contract. Accumulated Values and Annuity Payments depend on the investment
experience of the selected Portfolios. The investment performance of the
Portfolios is not guaranteed. Thus, you bear all investment risk for monies
invested under the Contract.
WHO SHOULD INVEST
The Contract is designed for investors seeking long term, tax-deferred
accumulation of funds, generally for retirement but also for other long-term
investment purposes. The tax-deferred feature of the Contract is most
attractive to investors in high federal and state marginal income tax
brackets. The Contract is offered as both a Qualified Contract and a Non-
Qualified Contract. Both Qualified and Non-Qualified Contracts offer tax-
deferral on increases in the Contract's value prior to withdrawal or
distribution--however, Purchase Payments made by Contract Owners of Qualified
Contracts may be excludible or deductible from gross income in the year such
payments are made, subject to certain statutory restrictions and limitations.
(See "Federal Tax Considerations," page 23.)
INVESTMENT CHOICES
Your investment in the Contract may be allocated among 12 Subaccounts of the
Separate Account. The Subaccounts in turn invest exclusively in the following
12 Portfolios offered by the Funds: Fidelity Money Market, Fidelity Equity-
Income, Fidelity Growth, Fidelity Asset Manager, Dreyfus Growth and Income,
Dreyfus Quality Bond, T. Rowe Price Equity Income, T. Rowe Price New America
Growth, T. Rowe Price International Stock, OpCap Advisors Managed, OpCap
Advisors Small Cap and OpCap Advisors U.S. Government Income. The assets of
each Portfolio are separate, and each Portfolio has distinct investment
objectives and policies as described in the corresponding Fund or Portfolio
Prospectus. ............................................................Page 13
CONTRACT OWNER
The Contract Owner is the person designated as the owner of the Contract in
the Contract application. The Contract Owner may designate any person as a
Joint Owner. A Joint Owner shares ownership in all respects with the Contract
Owner. Prior to the Annuity Date, the Contract Owner has the right to assign
ownership, designate beneficiaries, and make permitted withdrawals and
Exchanges among the Subaccounts.
ANNUITANT
The Annuitant is a person whose life is used to determine the duration of any
Annuity Payments and upon whose death, prior to the Annuity Date, benefits
under the Contract are paid.
ANNUITANT'S BENEFICIARY
The Contract Owner may designate any person to receive benefits under the
Contract which are payable upon the death of the Annuitant prior to the
Annuity Date.
HOW TO INVEST
To invest in the Contract, please consult your adviser who will assist you in
completing the Contract application. You will need to select an Annuitant. The
Annuitant may not be older than age 75. The minimum initial Purchase Payment
is $5,000 for Non-Qualified Contracts, and $2,000 (or $50 monthly by payroll
deduction) for Qualified Contracts; subsequent Purchase Payments must be at
least $500 for Non-Qualified Contracts or $50 for Qualified Contracts. You may
make subsequent Purchase Payments at any time before the Contract's Annuity
Date, as long as the Annuitant specified in the Contract is living. ....Page 15
5
<PAGE>
ALLOCATION OF PURCHASE PAYMENTS
Your initial Net Purchase Payment(s) will, unless you indicate otherwise, be
invested in your chosen Portfolios immediately upon our receipt thereof, IN
WHICH CASE YOU WILL BEAR FULL INVESTMENT RISK FOR ANY AMOUNTS ALLOCATED TO THE
PORTFOLIOS DURING THE RIGHT TO CANCEL PERIOD. You must fill out and send us
the appropriate form or comply with other designated Company procedures if you
would like to change how subsequent Net Purchase Payments are allocated. ..Page
16
RIGHT TO CANCEL PERIOD
The Contract provides for a Right to Cancel Period of 10 days (20 days for
replacement) plus a 5 day period to allow for mail delivery, during which you
may cancel your investment in the Contract. To cancel your investment, please
return your Contract to us or to the agent from whom you purchased the
Contract. When we receive the Contract, we will return the Accumulated Value
of your Purchase Payment(s) invested in the Portfolios plus any loads, fees
and/or Premium Taxes that may have been subtracted from such amount. ...Page 15
EXCHANGES
You may make unlimited Exchanges among the Portfolios, provided you maintain a
minimum balance of $250, except in cases where Purchase Payments are made by
monthly payroll deduction, in each Subaccount to which you have allocated a
portion of your Accumulated Value. No fee is currently imposed for such
Exchanges; however, we reserve the right to charge a $15 fee for Exchanges in
excess of 12 per Contract Year. Exchanges must not reduce the value of any
Subaccount below $250, except in cases where Purchase Payments are made by
monthly payroll deduction, or that remaining amount will be transferred to
your other Subaccounts on a pro rata basis. (See also "Charges and
Deductions," page 16). ............................................Page 18
DEATH BENEFIT
If the Annuitant specified in your Contract dies prior to the Annuity Date,
your named Annuitant's Beneficiary will receive the Death Benefit under the
Contract. The Death Benefit is the greater of your Accumulated Value or the
Adjusted Death Benefit on the date we receive due proof of the Annuitant's
death. During the first six Contract Years, the Adjusted Death Benefit will be
the sum of all Net Purchase Payments made, less any partial withdrawals taken.
During each subsequent six-year period, the Adjusted Death Benefit will be the
Death Benefit on the last day of the previous six-year period plus any Net
Purchase Payments made, less any partial withdrawals taken during the current
six-year period. After the Annuitant attains age 75, the Adjusted Death
Benefit will remain equal to the Death Benefit on the last day of the six-year
period before age 75 occurs plus any Net Purchase Payments subsequently made,
less any partial withdrawals subsequently taken. The Annuitant's Beneficiary
may elect to receive these proceeds as a lump sum or as Annuity Payments. If
the Annuitant dies on or after the Annuity Date, any unpaid payments certain
will be paid, generally to the Annuitant's Beneficiary, in accordance with the
Contract. .........................................................Page 21
ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTIONS
In addition to the full and partial withdrawal privileges, you may also choose
to create an income stream by requesting an annuity income from us. As the
Contract Owner, you may elect one of several Annuity Payment Options. By
electing an Annuity Payment Option, you are asking us to systematically
liquidate your annuity. We provide you with a variety of options as it relates
to those payments. At your discretion, payments may be either fixed or
variable or both. Fixed payouts are guaranteed for a designated period or for
life (either single or joint). Variable payments will vary depending on the
performance of the underlying Portfolio or Portfolios selected. ........Page 21
CONTRACT AND POLICYHOLDER INFORMATION
If you have questions about your Contract, please telephone our Administrative
Offices at 1-800-250-1828 between the hours of 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Eastern
time. Please have the Contract number and the Contract Owner's name ready when
you call. As Contract Owner you will receive periodic statements confirming
any financial transactions that take place, as well as quarterly statements
and an annual statement.
6
<PAGE>
CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS UNDER THE CONTRACT
The Contract has an annual mortality and expense risk charge of 1.25%. The
Contract has no front-end sales load and up to 10% of the Accumulated Value
can be withdrawn once per year without a surrender charge. However, additional
withdrawals are subject to a surrender charge of up to 7% during the first six
Contract Years.
The Contract also includes administrative charges and policy fees which pay
for administering the Contract, and management, advisory and other fees, which
reflect the costs of the Funds..........................................Page 16
FULL AND PARTIAL WITHDRAWALS
You may withdraw all or part of the Surrender Value of the Contract before the
earlier of the Annuity Date or the Annuitant's death. Withdrawals made prior
to age 59 1/2 may be subject to a 10% penalty tax (and a portion may be
subject to ordinary income taxes).......................................Page 18
FEE TABLE
The following table illustrates all expenses (except for Premium Taxes that
may be assessed) that you would incur as an owner of a Contract (see page 16).
The purpose of this table is to assist you in understanding the various costs
and expenses that you would bear directly or indirectly as a purchaser of the
Contract. The fee table reflects all expenses for both the Separate Account
and the Funds. For a complete discussion of Contract costs and expenses, see
"Charges and Deductions," page 16.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CONTRACTOWNER TRANSACTION EXPENSES
<S> <C>
Sales Load Imposed on Purchases......................................... None
Contingent Deferred Sales Load (surrender charge)....................... 7%*
Exchange Fees........................................................... None
ANNUAL CONTRACT FEE..................................................... $30
SEPARATE ACCOUNT ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of assets in the
Separate Account)
Mortality and Expense Risk Charge....................................... 1.25%
Administrative Charge................................................... .15%
-----
Total Annual Separate Account Expenses.................................. 1.40%
</TABLE>
*Up to 10% of the Accumulated Value as of the last Contract Anniversary (10%
of the initial Net Purchase Payment during the first Contract Year) can be
withdrawn once per year, or pursuant to a series of systematic withdrawals,
without a surrender charge (the "Penalty Free Amount"). Additional
withdrawals in excess of the Penalty Free Amount in the first Contract Year
are subject to a 7% charge on the portion of such withdrawal that consists
of Net Purchase Payments. The charge decreases one percentage point per year
until after the sixth Contract Year at which time there is no surrender
charge. The total surrender charges assessed will not exceed 8.5% of the
Purchase Payments under the Contract.
7
<PAGE>
PORTFOLIO ANNUAL EXPENSES
Except as indicated, the figures below are based on expenses for fiscal year
1996 (as a percentage of each Portfolio's average net assets after fee waiver
and/or expense reimbursement limitation, if applicable).
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MANAGEMENT
AND ADVISORY OTHER TOTAL PORTFOLIO
EXPENSES EXPENSES ANNUAL EXPENSES
------------ -------- ---------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Fidelity Money Market*.. 0.21% 0.09% 0.30%
Fidelity Equity-Income*. 0.51% 0.07% 0.58%
Fidelity Growth*........ 0.61% 0.08% 0.69%
Fidelity Asset Manager*. 0.64% 0.10% 0.74%
Dreyfus Growth and
Income**............... 0.75% 0.08% 0.83%
Dreyfus Quality Bond**.. 0.65% 0.14% 0.79%
T. Rowe Price Equity
Income................. 0.85% 0.00% 0.85%
T. Rowe Price New
America Growth......... 0.85% 0.00% 0.85%
T. Rowe Price
International Stock.... 1.05% 0.00% 1.05%
OpCap Advisors
Managed***............. 0.80% 0.10% 0.90%
OpCap Advisors Small
Cap***................. 0.80% 0.22% 1.02%
OpCap Advisors U.S.
Government Income***... 0.60% 0.42% 1.02%
</TABLE>
*A portion of the brokerage commissions that certain funds pay was used to
reduce funds expenses. In addition, certain funds have entered into
arrangements with their custodian and transfer agent whereby interest earned
on uninvested cash balances was used to reduce custodian and transfer agent
expenses. Including these reductions, the total operating expenses presented
in the table would have been 0.56% for Equity-Income Portfolio, 0.67% for
Growth Portfolio and 0.73% for Asset Manager Portfolio.
**From time to time, the Dreyfus Growth and Income and Quality Bond
Portfolios' investment adviser in its sole discretion may waive all or part
of its fees and/or voluntarily assume certain of the Portfolios' expenses.
For a more complete description of the Portfolios' fees and expenses, see
the Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund's Prospectus.
***The annual expenses of OCC Accumulation Trust Portfolios (the
"Portfolios") as of December 31, 1996 have been restated to reflect new
management fee and expense limitation arrangements in effect as of May 1,
1996. Additionally, Other Expenses are shown gross of certain expense
offsets afforded the Portfolios which effectively lowered overall custody
expenses. Effective May 1, 1996, the expenses of the Portfolios were
contractually limited by OpCap Advisors so that their respective annualized
operating expenses (net of any expense offsets) do not exceed 1.25% of their
respective average daily net assets. Furthermore, through December 31, 1997,
the annualized operating expenses of the U.S. Government Income, Managed and
Small Cap Portfolios will be voluntarily limited by OpCap Advisors so that
annualized operating expenses (net of any expense offsets) of these
Portfolios do not exceed 1.00% of their respective average daily net assets.
Without such contractual and voluntary expense limitations and without
giving effect to any expense offsets, the Management Fees, Other Expenses
and Total Portfolio Annual Expenses incurred for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1996 would have been 0.60%, 1.74% and 2.34%, respectively, for
the U.S. Government Income Portfolio; 0.80%, 0.10% and 0.90%, respectively,
for the Managed Portfolio; and 0.80%, 0.26% and 1.06%, respectively, for the
Small Cap Portfolio.
8
<PAGE>
The following example illustrates the expenses that you would incur on a
$1,000 Purchase Payment over various periods, assuming (1) a 5% annual rate of
return and (2) redemption at the end of each period.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
10
1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS YEARS
------ ------- ------- -------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Fidelity Money Market...................... $80.94 $100.15 $121.93 $206.10
Fidelity Equity-Income..................... 83.76 108.72 136.33 235.48
Fidelity Growth............................ 84.86 112.06 141.93 246.77
Fidelity Asset Manager..................... 85.36 113.58 144.46 251.85
Dreyfus Growth and Income.................. 86.26 116.30 149.00 260.94
Dreyfus Quality Bond....................... 85.86 115.09 146.99 256.91
T. Rowe Price Equity Income................ 86.46 116.90 150.01 262.94
T. Rowe Price New America Growth........... 86.46 116.90 150.01 262.94
T. Rowe Price International Stock.......... 88.46 122.92 160.02 282.75
OpCap Advisors Managed..................... 86.96 118.41 152.52 267.93
OpCap Advisors Small Cap................... 88.16 122.02 158.52 279.81
OpCap Advisors U.S. Government Income...... 88.16 122.02 158.52 279.81
</TABLE>
The following example illustrates the expenses that you would incur on a
$1,000 Purchase Payment over various periods, assuming (1) a 5% annual rate of
return and (2) you do not surrender your Contract or you annuitize at the end
of each period.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
3 10
1 YEAR YEARS 5 YEARS YEARS
------ ------ ------- -------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Fidelity Money Market....................... $17.95 $55.54 $ 95.52 $206.97
Fidelity Equity-Income...................... 20.77 64.10 109.95 236.64
Fidelity Growth............................. 21.87 67.44 115.56 248.05
Fidelity Asset Manager...................... 22.37 68.95 118.10 253.19
Dreyfus Growth and Income................... 23.28 71.68 122.66 262.38
Dreyfus Quality Bond........................ 22.87 70.47 120.64 258.31
T. Rowe Price Equity Income................. 23.48 72.28 123.67 264.41
T. Rowe Price New America Growth............ 23.48 72.28 123.67 264.41
T. Rowe Price International Stock........... 25.48 78.30 133.71 284.47
OpCap Advisors Managed...................... 23.98 73.79 126.19 269.47
OpCap Advisors Small Cap.................... 25.18 77.40 132.21 281.49
OpCap Advisors U.S. Government Income....... 25.18 77.40 132.21 281.49
</TABLE>
The Annual Contract Fee is reflected in these examples as a percentage equal
to the estimated total amount of fees collected during a calendar year divided
by the estimated total average net assets of the Portfolios during the same
calendar year. The fee is assumed to remain the same in each year of the above
periods. (With respect to partial year periods, if any, in the examples, the
Annual Contract Fee is pro-rated to reflect only the applicable portions of
the partial year period.) The Annual Contract Fee will be deducted on each
Contract Anniversary and upon surrender, on a pro rata basis, from each
Subaccount. The Company may deduct Premium Taxes, if any, as they are
incurred.
This example should not be considered a representation of past or future
expenses or performance. Actual expenses may be higher or lower than those
shown, subject to the guarantees in the Contract.
9
<PAGE>
CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
(For the period January 1, 1996 through December 31, 1996)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DREYFUS
FIDELITY FIDELITY GROWTH DREYFUS
MONEY FIDELITY ASSET FIDELITY AND QUALITY
MARKET EQUITY-INCOME MANAGER GROWTH INCOME BOND
-------- ------------- -------- -------- -------- --------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Accumulation unit value
as of:
12/31/96.............. 10.000 10.000 10.000 10.000 10.000 10.000
Number of units
outstanding as of:
12/31/96.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0
<CAPTION>
OPCAP
OPCAP ADVISORS
TRP TRP TRP NEW OPCAP ADVISORS U.S.
EQUITY INTERNATIONAL AMERICA ADVISORS SMALL GOV'T.
INCOME STOCK GROWTH MANAGED CAP. INCOME
-------- ------------- -------- -------- -------- --------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Accumulation unit value
as of:
12/31/96.............. 10.000 10.000 10.000 10.000 10.000 10.000
Number of units
outstanding as of:
12/31/96.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0
</TABLE>
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited statutory-basis financial statements of the Company (as well as
the Independent Auditors' Report thereon) are contained in the Statement of
Additional Information. No financial statements are included for the Separate
Account because, as of the end of the most recent fiscal year, the Subaccounts
which invest in the Portfolios offered by the Providian Marquee Variable
Annuity had not commenced operations with respect to the Portfolios, and
consequently had no assets or liabilities.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Performance for the Subaccounts of the Separate Account, including the yield
and effective yield of the Fidelity Money Market Subaccount, the yield of the
other Subaccounts, and the total return of all Subaccounts may appear in
reports and promotional literature to current or prospective Contract Owners.
On September 16, 1994, an investment company then called Quest for Value
Accumulation Trust (the "Old Trust") was effectively divided into two
investment funds, the Old Trust and the Quest for Value Accumulation Trust
(now known as the OCC Accumulation Trust) that is included in the Contract
(the "New Trust"), at which time the New Trust commenced operations. The total
net assets for each of the OpCap Advisors Small Cap and OpCap Advisors Managed
Portfolios immediately after the transaction were $139,812,573 and
$682,601,380, respectively, with respect to the Old Trust and, with respect to
the New Trust were $8,129,274 and $51,345,102, for the OpCap Advisors Small
Cap and OpCap Advisors Managed Portfolios, respectively. For the period prior
to September 16, 1994, performance figures for each of the OpCap Advisors
Small Cap and OpCap Advisors Managed Portfolios reflect the performance of the
corresponding Portfolios of the Old Trust.
Please refer to the discussion below and to the Statement of Additional
Information for a more detailed description of the method used to calculate a
Portfolio's yield and total return, and a list of the indexes and other
benchmarks used in evaluating a Portfolio's performance.
STANDARDIZED AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN
When advertising performance of the Subaccounts, the Company will show the
Standardized Average Annual Total Return for a Subaccount which, as prescribed
by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), is the
effective annual compounded rate of return that would have produced the cash
redemption value over the stated period had the performance remained constant
throughout. The Standardized Average Annual Total Return assumes a single
$1,000 payment made at the beginning of the period and full redemption at the
end of the period. It reflects the deduction of all applicable sales loads
(including the contingent deferred sales load), the Annual Contract Fee and
all other Portfolio, Separate Account and Contract level charges except
Premium Taxes, if any.
10
<PAGE>
ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES
NON-STANDARDIZED ACTUAL TOTAL RETURN AND NON-STANDARDIZED ACTUAL AVERAGE
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN
The Company may show actual Total Return (i.e., the percentage change in the
value of an Accumulation Unit) for one or more Subaccounts with respect to one
or more periods. The Company may also show actual Average Annual Total Return
(i.e., the average annual change in Accumulation Unit Values) with respect to
one or more periods. For one year, the actual Total Return and the actual
Average Annual Total Return are effective annual rates of return and are
equal. For periods greater than one year, the actual Average Annual Total
Return is the effective annual compounded rate of return for the periods
stated. Because the value of an Accumulation Unit reflects the Separate
Account and Portfolio expenses (see "Fee Table") the actual Total Return and
actual Average Annual Total Return also reflect these expenses. These
percentages do not reflect the Annual Contract Fee, any sales loads or Premium
Taxes (if any) which, if included, would reduce the percentages reported.
NON-STANDARDIZED TOTAL RETURN YEAR-TO-DATE
The Company may show Non-Standardized Total Return Year-to-Date as of a
particular date, or simply Total Return YTD, for one or more subaccounts with
respect to one or more non-standardized base periods commencing at the
beginning of a calendar year. Total Return YTD figures reflect the percentage
change in actual Accumulation Unit Values during the relevant period. These
percentages reflect a deduction for the Separate Account and Portfolio
expenses, but do not include the Annual Contract Fee, any sales loads or
Premium Taxes (if any), which if included would reduce the percentages
reported by the Company.
NON-STANDARDIZED ONE YEAR RETURN
The Company may show Non-Standardized One Year Return, for one or more
Subaccounts with respect to one or more non-standardized base periods
commencing at the beginning of a calendar year (or date of inception, if
during the relevant year) and ending at the end of such calendar year. One
Year Return figures reflect the percentage change in actual Accumulation Unit
Values during the relevant period. These percentages reflect a deduction for
the Separate Account and Portfolio expenses, but do not include the Annual
Contract Fee, any sales loads or Premium Taxes (if any), which if included
would reduce the percentage reported by the Company.
NON-STANDARDIZED HYPOTHETICAL TOTAL RETURN AND NON-STANDARDIZED HYPOTHETICAL
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN
The Company may show Non-Standardized Hypothetical Total Return and Non-
Standardized Hypothetical Average Annual Total Return, calculated on the basis
of the historical performance of the Portfolios, and may assume the Contract
was in existence prior to its inception date (which it was not). After the
Contract's inception date, the calculations will reflect actual Accumulation
Unit Values. These returns are based on specified premium patterns which
produce the resulting Accumulated Values. They reflect a deduction for the
Separate Account expenses and Portfolio expenses. These returns do not include
the Annual Contract Fee, any sales loads or Premium Taxes (if any) which, if
included, would reduce the percentages reported.
The Non-Standardized Hypothetical Total Return for a Subaccount is the
effective annual rate of return that would have produced the ending
Accumulated Value of the stated one-year period.
The Non-Standardized Hypothetical Average Annual Total Return for a Subaccount
is the effective annual compounded rate of return that would have produced the
ending Accumulated Value over the stated period had the performance remained
constant throughout.
YIELD AND EFFECTIVE YIELD
The Company may also show yield and effective yield figures for the Subaccount
investing in shares of the Fidelity Money Market Portfolio. "Yield" refers to
the income generated by an investment in Fidelity Money Market over a seven-
day period, which is then "annualized." That is, the amount of income
generated by the investment during that week is assumed to be generated each
week over a 52-week period and is shown as a percentage of the investment. The
"effective yield" is calculated similarly but, when annualized, the income
earned by an investment in Fidelity Money Market is assumed to be reinvested.
Therefore the effective yield will be slightly higher than the yield because
of the compounding effect of this assumed reinvestment. These figures do not
reflect the Annual Contract Fee, any sales loads or Premium Taxes (if any)
which, if included, would reduce the yields reported.
11
<PAGE>
From time to time a Portfolio of a Fund may advertise its yield and total
return investment performance. For each Subaccount other than Fidelity Money
Market for which the Company advertises yield, the Company shall furnish a
yield quotation referring to the Portfolio computed in the following manner:
the net investment income per Accumulation Unit earned during a recent one
month period is divided by the Accumulation Unit Value on the last day of the
period.
Please refer to the Statement of Additional Information for a description of
the method used to calculate a Portfolio's yield and total return, and a list
of the indexes and other benchmarks used in evaluating a Portfolio's
performance.
The performance measures discussed above reflect results of the Portfolios and
are not intended to indicate or predict future performance. For more detailed
information, see the Statement of Additional Information.
Performance information for the Subaccounts may be contrasted with other
comparable variable annuity separate accounts or other investment products
surveyed by Lipper Analytical Services, a nationally recognized independent
reporting service which ranks mutual funds and other investment companies by
overall performance, investment objectives and assets. Performance may also be
tracked by other ratings services, companies, publications or persons who rank
separate accounts or other investment products on overall performance or other
criteria. Performance figures will be calculated in accordance with
standardized methods established by each reporting service.
THE COMPANY AND THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
The Company (formerly National Home Life Assurance Company of New York) is a
stock life insurance company incorporated under the laws of the State of New
York on March 23, 1970, with administrative offices at 520 Columbia Drive,
Johnson City, New York 13790. The Company is principally engaged in offering
life insurance, annuity contracts, and accident and health insurance and is
admitted to do business in 10 states and the District of Columbia. As of
December 31, 1996, the Company had assets of approximately $324 million. The
Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AEGON International N.V., which
conducts substantially all of its operations through subsidiary companies
engaged in the insurance business or in providing non-insurance financial
services. All of the stock of AEGON International N.V. is owned by AEGON N.V.
of the Netherlands. AEGON N.V., a holding company, conducts its business
through subsidiary companies engaged primarily in the insurance business.
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY SEPARATE ACCOUNT C
The Separate Account was established by the Company as a separate account
under the laws of the State of New York on November 4, 1994, pursuant to a
resolution of the Company's Board of Directors. The Separate Account is a unit
investment trust registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of
1940 (the "1940 Act"). Such registration does not signify that the SEC
supervises the management or the investment practices or policies of the
Separate Account. The Separate Account meets the definition of a "separate
account" under the federal securities laws.
The assets of the Separate Account are owned by the Company and the
obligations under the Contract are obligations of the Company. These assets
are held separately from the other assets of the Company and are not
chargeable with liabilities incurred in any other business operation of the
Company (except to the extent that assets in the Separate Account exceed the
reserves and other liabilities of the Separate Account). Income, gains and
losses incurred on the assets in the Separate Account, whether or not
realized, are credited to or charged against the Separate Account without
regard to other income, gains or losses of the Company. Therefore, the
investment performance of the Separate Account is entirely independent of the
investment performance of the General Account assets or any other separate
account maintained by the Company.
The Separate Account has dedicated 12 Subaccounts to the Contract, each of
which invests solely in a corresponding Portfolio of the Funds. Additional
Subaccounts may be established at the discretion of the Company. The Separate
Account also includes other subaccounts which are not available under the
Contract.
VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND AND VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND II
Variable Insurance Products Fund and Variable Insurance Products Fund II
(each, a "Fidelity Fund" and collectively, the "Fidelity Funds") are
diversified, open-end management investment companies organized by Fidelity
Management & Research Company ("FMR") and registered under the 1940 Act. Each
Fidelity Fund consists of several investment portfolios, including the Money
Market, Equity-Income, Growth and Asset Manager Portfolios available as part
of the Providian Marquee. FMR serves as the Fidelity Funds' investment
adviser. ("VIP" and "VIP II" refer to Variable Insurance Products Fund and
Variable Insurance Products Fund II, respectively.)
12
<PAGE>
DREYFUS VARIABLE INVESTMENT FUND
Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund is an open-end management investment company
organized under the 1940 Act. The Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund consists of
thirteen separate investment portfolios, including the Growth and Income and
Quality Bond Portfolios, which are the only portfolios available as part of
the Providian Marquee. The Dreyfus Corporation serves as this Fund's
investment adviser.
T. ROWE PRICE EQUITY SERIES, INC.
T. Rowe Price Equity Series Inc. is a Maryland corporation organized in 1994
and is registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act as a diversified, open-end
management investment company, commonly known as a "mutual fund." Currently,
the fund consists of the Equity Income and the New America Growth Portfolios,
each of which represents a separate class of shares having different
objectives and investment policies, and both of which are available as part of
the Providian Marquee. T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is responsible for the
selection and management of this Fund's portfolio investments and serves as
the Fund's investment adviser.
T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL SERIES, INC.
T. Rowe Price International Series, Inc. is a Maryland corporation organized
in 1994 and is registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act as a diversified,
open-end management investment company, commonly known as a "mutual fund." The
corporation is a series fund and has the authority to issue other series in
addition to the International Stock Portfolio currently available as part of
the Providian Marquee. Rowe Price-Fleming International, Inc. is responsible
for selection and management of this Fund's portfolio investments and serves
as the Fund's investment adviser.
OCC ACCUMULATION TRUST
OCC Accumulation Trust is a Massachusetts business trust and is registered
with the SEC under the 1940 Act as a diversified, open-end management
investment company. The Fund receives investment advice with respect to each
of its portfolios from OpCap Advisors, a subsidiary of Oppenheimer Capital, a
registered investment adviser. The Fund currently consists of seven series,
including the OpCap Advisors Managed, OpCap Advisors Small Cap and OpCap
Advisors Government Income Portfolios available as part of the Providian
Marquee. The OCC Accumulation Trust was formerly known as the Quest for Value
Accumulation Trust.
THE PORTFOLIOS (SEE ACCOMPANYING PROSPECTUSES)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH PORTFOLIO'S
INVESTMENTS, PLEASE REFER TO THE APPLICABLE UNDERLYING FUND PROSPECTUS.
VIP MONEY MARKET PORTFOLIO ("FIDELITY MONEY MARKET")
Fidelity Money Market seeks to obtain as high a level of current income as is
consistent with preserving capital and providing liquidity. It invests only in
high-quality U.S. dollar denominated money market instruments of domestic and
foreign issuers.
VIP EQUITY-INCOME PORTFOLIO ("FIDELITY EQUITY-INCOME")
Fidelity Equity-Income seeks reasonable income by investing primarily in
income-producing equity securities. In choosing these securities the Portfolio
will also consider the potential for capital appreciation. The Portfolio's
goal is to achieve a yield which exceeds the composite yield on the securities
comprising the Standard & Poor's Composite Index of 500 Stocks.
VIP GROWTH PORTFOLIO ("FIDELITY GROWTH")
Fidelity Growth seeks to achieve capital appreciation normally through the
purchase of common stocks (although the Portfolio's investments are not
restricted to any one type of security). Capital appreciation may also be
found in other types of securities, including bonds and preferred stocks.
13
<PAGE>
VIP II ASSET MANAGER PORTFOLIO ("FIDELITY ASSET MANAGER")
Fidelity Asset Manager seeks high total return with reduced risk over the
long-term by allocating its assets among domestic and foreign stocks, bonds
and short-term fixed income instruments.
DREYFUS GROWTH AND INCOME PORTFOLIO ("DREYFUS GROWTH AND INCOME")
Dreyfus Growth and Income is a non-diversified Portfolio, the goal of which is
long-term capital growth, current income and growth of income, consistent with
reasonable investment risk. The Portfolio invests in equity and debt
securities and money market instruments of domestic and foreign issuers.
DREYFUS QUALITY BOND PORTFOLIO ("DREYFUS QUALITY BOND")
Dreyfus Quality Bond is a diversified Portfolio, the goal of which is to
provide the maximum amount of current income to the extent consistent with the
preservation of capital and the maintenance of liquidity. The Dreyfus Quality
Bond Portfolio invests in debt obligations of corporations, the U.S.
Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, and major U.S. banking
institutions.
T. ROWE PRICE EQUITY INCOME PORTFOLIO ("T. ROWE PRICE EQUITY INCOME")
T. Rowe Price Equity Income seeks to provide substantial dividend income as
well as long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in dividend-
paying common stocks of established companies. In pursuing its objective, the
Portfolio emphasizes companies with favorable prospects for both increasing
dividend income and capital appreciation.
T. ROWE PRICE NEW AMERICA GROWTH PORTFOLIO ("T. ROWE PRICE NEW AMERICA
GROWTH")
T. Rowe Price New America Growth seeks long-term growth of capital through
investments primarily in the common stocks of U.S. growth companies which
operate in service industries. In pursuing its objective, this Portfolio
invests primarily in companies deriving a majority of their revenues or
operating earnings from service-related activities and in companies whose
prospects are closely tied to service industries. This Portfolio may also
invest up to 25% of its assets in non-service related growth companies in
pursuit of capital appreciation whose earnings are believed to hold the
prospect of superior growth.
T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL STOCK PORTFOLIO ("T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL
STOCK")
T. Rowe Price International Stock seeks long-term growth of capital, through
investments primarily in common stocks of established, non-U.S. companies.
OPCAP ADVISORS MANAGED PORTFOLIO ("OPCAP ADVISORS MANAGED")
OpCap Advisors Managed seeks to achieve growth of capital over time through
investment in a portfolio consisting of common stocks, bonds and cash
equivalents, the percentages of which will vary over time based on the
investment manager's assessments of the relative outlook for such investments.
OPCAP ADVISORS SMALL CAP PORTFOLIO ("OPCAP ADVISORS SMALL CAP")
OpCap Advisors Small Cap seeks capital appreciation through investments in a
diversified portfolio consisting primarily of equity securities of companies
with market capitalizations under $1 billion.
OPCAP ADVISORS U.S. GOVERNMENT INCOME PORTFOLIO ("OPCAP ADVISORS U.S.
GOVERNMENT INCOME")
The investment objective of OpCap Advisors U.S. Government Income is to seek a
high level of current income together with the protection of capital. This
Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing exclusively
in debt obligations, including mortgage-backed securities, issued or
guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.
14
<PAGE>
OTHER PORTFOLIO INFORMATION
There is no assurance that a Portfolio will achieve its stated investment
objective.
Additional information concerning the investment objectives and policies of
the Portfolios and the investment advisory services, total expenses and
charges can be found in the current prospectuses for the corresponding Funds.
THE FUNDS' OR PORTFOLIOS' PROSPECTUSES SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY
DECISION IS MADE CONCERNING THE ALLOCATION OF NET PURCHASE PAYMENTS TO A
PORTFOLIO.
The Portfolios may be made available to registered separate accounts offering
variable annuity and variable life products of the Company as well as other
insurance companies or to a person or plan, including a pension or retirement
plan receiving favorable tax treatment under the Code, that qualifies to
purchase shares of the Funds under Section 817(h) of the Code. Although we
believe it is unlikely, a material conflict could arise among the interests of
the Separate Account and one or more of the other participating separate
accounts and other qualified persons or plans. In the event of a material
conflict, the affected insurance companies agree to take any necessary steps,
including removing their separate accounts from the Funds if required by law,
to resolve the matter.
CONTRACT FEATURES
The rights and benefits under the Contract are as described below and in the
Contract. The Company reserves the right to make any modification to conform
the Contract to, or give the Contract Owner the benefit of, any federal or
state statute or any rule or regulation of the United States Treasury
Department.
RIGHT TO CANCEL PERIOD
A Right to Cancel Period exists for 10 days after you receive the Contract (20
days for replacement) plus a 5 day grace period to allow for mail delivery.
You may cancel the Contract during the Right to Cancel Period by returning the
Contract to our Administrative Offices, 520 Columbia Drive, Johnson City, New
York 13790, or to the agent from whom you purchased the Contract or mailing it
to us at P.O. Box 1950, Binghamton, New York 13902. Upon cancellation, the
Contract is treated as void from the Contract Date and when we receive the
Contract, we will return the Accumulated Value of your Purchase Payment(s)
invested in the Portfolios plus any loads, fees and/or Premium Taxes that may
have been subtracted from such amount.
CONTRACT APPLICATION AND PURCHASE PAYMENTS
If you wish to purchase a Contract, you should send your completed application
and your initial Purchase Payment to the address indicated on your
application, or to such other location as the Company may from time to time
designate. If you wish to make personal delivery by hand or courier to the
Company of your completed application and initial Purchase Payment (rather
than through the mail), you must do so at our Administrative Offices, 520
Columbia Drive, Johnson City, NY 13790. Your initial Purchase Payment for a
Non-Qualified Contract must be equal to or greater than the $5,000 minimum
investment requirement. The initial Purchase Payment for a Qualified Contract
must be equal to or greater than $2,000 (or you may establish a payment
schedule of $50 a month by payroll deduction).
The Contract will be issued and the initial Purchase Payment less any Premium
Taxes will be credited within two Business Days after acceptance of the
application and the initial Purchase Payment. Acceptance is subject to the
application being received in good order, and the Company reserves the right
to reject any application or initial Purchase Payment.
If the initial Purchase Payment cannot be credited because the application is
incomplete, we will contact the applicant, explain the reason for the delay
and will refund the initial Purchase Payment within five Business Days, unless
the applicant instructs us to retain the initial Purchase Payment and credit
it as soon as the necessary requirements are fulfilled.
Additional Purchase Payments may be made at any time prior to the Annuity
Date, as long as the Annuitant is living. Any additional Purchase Payments
must be for at least $500 for Non-Qualified Contracts, or $50 for Qualified
Contracts. If additional Purchase Payments are received prior to the close of
the New York Stock Exchange (generally
15
<PAGE>
4:00 P.M. Eastern time) they will be credited to the Accumulated Value at the
close of business that same day. Additional Purchase Payments received after
the close of the New York Stock Exchange are processed the next Business Day.
Total Purchase Payments may not exceed $1,000,000 without our prior approval.
The Company reserves the right to refuse to issue this Contract in cases
involving an exchange for another Contract. In cases where a Contract Owner or
former Contract Owner requests the Company to reverse a surrender or
withdrawal transaction, whether full or partial, the Company reserves the
right to refuse such requests or to grant such requests on the condition that
the Contract's Accumulated Value be adjusted to reflect appropriate investment
results, administrative costs, or loss of interest during the relevant period.
PURCHASING BY WIRE
For wiring instructions please contact our Administrative Offices at 1-800-
250-1828.
ALLOCATION OF PURCHASE PAYMENTS
You specify in the Contract application how your Net Purchase Payments will be
allocated. You may allocate each Net Purchase Payment to one or more of the
Portfolios as long as such portions are whole number percentages provided that
no Portfolio may contain a balance less than $250, except in cases where
Purchase Payments are made by monthly payroll deduction. You may choose not to
allocate any monies to a particular Portfolio. You may change allocation
instructions for future Net Purchase Payments by sending us the appropriate
Company form or by complying with other designated Company procedures.
Your initial Net Purchase Payment(s) will, unless you indicate otherwise, be
invested in your Portfolios immediately upon our receipt thereof, IN WHICH
CASE YOU WILL BEAR FULL INVESTMENT RISK FOR ANY AMOUNTS ALLOCATED TO THE
PORTFOLIOS DURING THE RIGHT TO CANCEL PERIOD.
CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS
No sales load is deducted from Purchase Payments and up to 10% of the
Accumulated Value as of the last Contract Anniversary (10% of the initial Net
Purchase Payment during the first Contract Year), can be withdrawn once per
year, or pursuant to a series of systematic withdrawals, without a surrender
charge (the "Penalty Free Amount"). Additional withdrawals in excess of the
Penalty Free Amount are subject to a surrender charge according to the
following schedule on the portion of such withdrawal that consists of Net
Purchase Payments:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CURRENT
CONTRACT YEAR CHARGE
------------- -------
<S> <C>
1............................. 7%
2............................. 6%
3............................. 5%
4............................. 4%
5............................. 3%
6............................. 2%
7............................. 0%
</TABLE>
The total surrender charges assessed will not exceed 8.5% of the Purchase
Payments under the Contract. There will be no surrender charge assessed on the
death of the Annuitant or after the sixth Contract Year.
MORTALITY AND EXPENSE RISK CHARGE
We impose a charge as compensation for bearing certain mortality and expense
risks under the Contract. The annual charge is assessed daily based on the net
asset value of the Separate Account. The annual mortality and expense risk
charge is 1.25% of the net asset value of the Separate Account.
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We guarantee that this annual charge will never increase. If this charge is
insufficient to cover actual costs and assumed risks, the loss will fall on
us. Conversely, if the charge proves more than sufficient, any excess will be
added to the Company surplus and will be used for any lawful purpose,
including any shortfall on the costs of distributing the Contract.
The mortality risk borne by us under the Contract, where one of the life
Annuity Payment Options is selected, is to make monthly Annuity Payments
(determined in accordance with the annuity tables and other provisions
contained in the Contract) regardless of how long all Annuitants may live. We
also assume mortality risk as a result of our guarantee of a Death Benefit in
the event the Annuitant dies prior to the Annuity Date.
The expense risk borne by us under the Contract is the risk that the charges
for administrative expenses which are guaranteed for the life of the Contract
may be insufficient to cover the actual costs of issuing and administering the
Contract.
ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE AND ANNUAL CONTRACT FEE
An administrative charge equal to .15% annually of the net asset value of the
Separate Account is assessed daily along with the Annual Contract Fee of $30.
The Annual Contract Fee is deducted proportionately from the Subaccounts. For
any Contract with amounts allocated to the Subaccounts, the $30 fee is
assessed per Contract, not per Portfolio chosen. The Annual Contract Fee will
be deducted on each Contract Anniversary and upon surrender, on a pro rata
basis, from each Subaccount. These deductions represent reimbursement for the
costs expected to be incurred over the life of the Contract for issuing and
maintaining each Contract and the Separate Account.
EXCHANGES
Each Contract Year you may make an unlimited number of free Exchanges between
Portfolios, provided that after an Exchange no Portfolio may contain a balance
less than $250, except in cases where Purchase Payments are made by monthly
payroll deduction. We reserve the right to charge a $15 fee in the future for
Exchanges in excess of 12 per Contract Year.
EXCEPTIONS TO CHARGES AND TO TRANSACTION OR BALANCE REQUIREMENTS
The contingent deferred sales load or other administrative charges or fees may
be reduced for sales of Contracts to a trustee, employer or similar entity
representing a group where the Company determines that such sales result in
savings of sales and/or administrative expenses. In addition, directors,
officers and bona fide full-time employees (and their spouses and minor
children) of the Company, its ultimate parent company, AEGON N.V., and certain
of their affiliates and certain sales representatives for the Contract are
permitted to purchase Contracts with substantial reduction of the contingent
deferred sales load or other administrative charges or fees or with a waiver
or modification of certain minimum or maximum purchase and transaction amounts
or balance requirements. Contracts so purchased are for investment purposes
only and may not be resold except to the Company.
In no event will reduction or elimination of the contingent deferred sales
loads or other fees or charges or waiver or modification of transaction or
balance requirements be permitted where such reduction, elimination, waiver or
modification will be unfairly discriminatory to any person. Additional
information about reductions in charges is contained in the Statement of
Additional Information.
TAXES
Under present laws, the Company will not incur New York state or local taxes.
If there is a change in state or local tax laws, charges for such taxes may be
made. The Company does not expect to incur any federal income tax liability
attributable to investment income or capital gains retained as part of the
reserves under the Contract. (See "Federal Tax Considerations," page 23.)
Based upon these expectations, no charge is currently being made to the
Separate Account for corporate federal income taxes that may be attributable
to the Separate Account.
The Company will periodically review the question of a charge to the Separate
Account for federal income taxes related to the Separate Account. Such a
charge may be made in future years for any federal income taxes incurred by
the
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Company. This might become necessary if the tax treatment of the Company is
ultimately determined to be other than what the Company currently believes it
to be, if there are changes made in the federal income tax treatment of
annuities at the corporate level, or if there is a change in the Company's tax
status. In the event that the Company should incur federal income taxes
attributable to investment income or capital gains retained as part of the
reserves under the Contracts, the Accumulated Value of the Contract would be
correspondingly adjusted by any provision or charge for such taxes.
PORTFOLIO EXPENSES
The value of the assets in the Separate Account reflects the fees and expenses
paid by the Portfolios. A complete description of these expenses is found in
the "Fee Table" section of this Prospectus and in each Fund's Prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information.
ACCUMULATED VALUE
At the commencement of the Contract, the Accumulated Value equals the initial
Net Purchase Payment. Thereafter, the Accumulated Value equals the Accumulated
Value from the previous Business Day increased by: (i) any additional Net
Purchase Payments received by the Company and (ii) any increase in the
Accumulated Value due to investment results of the selected Portfolio(s); and
reduced by: (i) any decrease in the Accumulated Value due to investment
results of the selected Portfolio(s), (ii) a daily charge to cover the
mortality and expense risks assumed by the Company, (iii) any charge to cover
the cost of administering the Contract, (iv) any partial withdrawals, and (v)
any charges for any Exchanges made after the first twelve in any Contract
Year.
EXCHANGES AMONG THE PORTFOLIOS
Should your investment goals change, you may exchange Accumulated Value among
the Portfolios of the Funds. Requests for Exchanges, received by mail or by
telephone, prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4:00
P.M. Eastern time) are processed at the close of business that same day.
Requests received after the close of the New York Stock Exchange are processed
the next Business Day. If you experience difficulty in making a telephone
Exchange your Exchange request may be made by regular or express mail. It will
be processed on the date received.
To take advantage of the privilege of initiating transactions by telephone,
you must first elect the privilege by completing the appropriate section of
the application or by completing a separate telephone authorization form at a
later date. To take advantage of the privilege of authorizing a third party to
initiate transactions by telephone, you must first complete a third party
authorization form.
The Company will undertake reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions
communicated by telephone are genuine. Prior to the acceptance of any request,
the caller will be asked by a customer service representative for his or her
Contract number and social security number. In addition, telephone
communications from a third party authorized to transact in an account will
undergo reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions are genuine. The
third party caller will be asked for his or her name, company affiliation (if
appropriate), the Contract number to which he or she is referring, and the
social security number of the Contract Owner. All calls will be recorded, and
this information will be verified with the Contract Owner's records prior to
processing a transaction. Furthermore, all transactions performed by a
customer service representative will be verified with the Contract Owner
through a written confirmation statement. Neither the Company nor the Funds
shall be liable for any loss, cost or expense for action on telephone
instructions that are believed to be genuine in accordance with these
procedures.
FULL AND PARTIAL WITHDRAWALS
At any time before the Annuity Date and while the Annuitant is living, you may
make a partial or full withdrawal of the Contract to receive all or part of
the Surrender Value by sending a written request to our Administrative
Offices. Full or partial withdrawals may only be made before the Annuity Date
and all partial withdrawal requests must be for at least $500. The amount
available for full or partial withdrawal is the Surrender Value at the end of
the Valuation Period during which the written request for withdrawal is
received. The Surrender Value is an amount equal to the Accumulated Value,
less any applicable contingent deferred sales load (i.e., surrender charge)
and any Premium Taxes incurred but not yet deducted. The withdrawal amount may
be paid in a lump sum to you, or if elected, all or any part may be paid out
under an Annuity Payment Option. (See "Annuity Payment Options," page 21.)
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You can make a withdrawal by sending the appropriate Company form to our
Administrative Offices. Your proceeds will normally be processed and mailed to
you within two Business Days after the receipt of the request but in no event
will it be later than seven calendar days, subject to postponement in certain
circumstances. (See "Deferment of Payment," page 23.)
Payments under the Contract of any amounts derived from premiums paid by check
may be delayed until such time as the check has cleared your bank. If, at the
time the Contract Owner requests a full or partial withdrawal, he has not
provided the Company with a written election not to have federal income taxes
withheld, the Company must by law withhold 10% from the taxable portion of any
full or partial withdrawal and remit that amount to the federal government.
Moreover, the Code provides that a 10% penalty tax may be imposed on certain
early withdrawals. (See "Federal Tax Considerations," page 23.)
Since the Contract Owner assumes the investment risk with respect to amounts
allocated to the Separate Account, the total amount paid upon withdrawal of the
Contract (taking into account any prior withdrawals) may be more or less than
the total Net Purchase Payments made.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL OPTION
You may choose to have a specified dollar amount provided to you on a regular
basis from the portion of your Contract's Accumulated Value that is allocated
to the Portfolios. By electing the Systematic Withdrawal Option, withdrawals
may be made on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual basis. The minimum
amount for each withdrawal is $250.
This option may be elected by completing the Systematic Withdrawal Request
Form. This form must be received by us at least 30 days prior to the date
systematic withdrawals will begin. Each withdrawal will be processed on the day
and at the frequency indicated on the Systematic Withdrawal Request Form. The
start date for the systematic withdrawals must be between the first and twenty-
eighth day of the month. You may discontinue the Systematic Withdrawal Option
at any time by notifying us in writing at least 30 days prior to your next
scheduled withdrawal date.
A surrender charge will apply when withdrawals in any of the first six Contract
Years exceed 10% of that year's beginning Accumulated Value. (See "Charges and
Deductions," page 16.) Like any other partial withdrawal, each Systematic
Withdrawal is subject to taxes on earnings. If the Contract Owner has not
provided the Company with a written election not to have federal income taxes
withheld, the Company must by law withhold 10% from the taxable portion of the
Systematic Withdrawal and remit that amount to the federal government.
Moreover, the Code provides that a 10% penalty tax may be imposed on certain
early withdrawals. (See "Federal Tax Considerations," page 23.) You may wish to
consult a tax adviser regarding any tax consequences that might result prior to
electing the Systematic Withdrawal Option.
We reserve the right to discontinue offering the Systematic Withdrawal Option
upon 30 days written notice. We also reserve the right to charge a fee for such
service.
DOLLAR COST AVERAGING OPTION
If you have at least $5,000 of Accumulated Value in Fidelity Money Market, you
may choose to have a specified dollar amount transferred from this Portfolio to
other Portfolios in the Separate Account on a monthly basis. The main objective
of Dollar Cost Averaging is to shield your investment from short term price
fluctuations. Since the same dollar amount is transferred to other Portfolios
each month, more units are purchased in a Portfolio if the value per unit is
low and less units are purchased if the value per unit is high. Therefore, a
lower average cost per unit may be achieved over the long term. This plan of
investing allows investors to take advantage of market fluctuations but does
not assure a profit or protect against a loss in declining markets.
This Dollar Cost Averaging Option may be elected on the application or at a
later date. The minimum amount that may be transferred each month into any
Portfolio is $250. The maximum amount which may be transferred is equal to the
Accumulated Value in Fidelity Money Market when elected, divided by 12.
The transfer date will be the same calendar day each month as the Contract
Date. The dollar amount will be allocated to the Portfolios in the proportions
you specify on the appropriate Company form, or, if none are specified, in
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accordance with your original investment allocation. If, on any transfer date,
the Accumulated Value is equal to or less than the amount you have elected to
have transferred, the entire amount will be transferred and the option will
end. You may change the transfer amount once each Contract Year, or cancel
this option by sending the appropriate Company form to our Administrative
Offices which must be received at least seven days before the next transfer
date.
IRS-REQUIRED DISTRIBUTIONS
Prior to the Annuity Date, if you or, if applicable, a Joint Owner dies before
the entire interest in the Contract is distributed, the value of the Contract
must be distributed to the Owner's Designated Beneficiary (unless the Contract
Owner was also the Annuitant-in which case the Annuitant's Beneficiary is
entitled to the Death Benefit) as described in this section so that the
Contract qualifies as an annuity under the Code. If the death occurs on or
after the Annuity Date, the remaining portions of such interest will be
distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used
as of the date of death. If the death occurs before the Annuity Date, the
entire interest in the Contract will be distributed within five years after
date of death or be paid under an Annuity Payment Option under which payments
will begin within one year of the Contract Owner's death and will be made for
the life of the Owner's Designated Beneficiary or for a period not extending
beyond the life expectancy of that beneficiary. The Owner's Designated
Beneficiary is the person to whom ownership of the Contract passes by reason
of death.
If any portion of the Contract Owner's interest is payable to (or for the
benefit of) the surviving spouse of the Contract Owner, the Contract may be
continued with the surviving spouse as the new Contract Owner.
MINIMUM BALANCE REQUIREMENT
We will transfer the balance in any Portfolio that falls below $250, except in
cases where Purchase Payments are made by monthly payroll deduction, due to a
partial withdrawal or Exchange, to the remaining Portfolios held under that
Contract on a pro rata basis. In the event that the entire value of the
Contract falls below $1,000, and if no Purchase Payment has been received
within three years, we reserve the right to liquidate the account. You would
be notified that the Accumulated Value of your account is below the Contract's
minimum requirement and be allowed 60 days to make an additional investment
before the account is liquidated. Proceeds would be promptly paid to the
Contract Owner. The full proceeds would be taxable as a withdrawal. We will
not exercise this right with respect to Qualified Contracts.
DESIGNATION OF AN ANNUITANT'S BENEFICIARY
The Contract Owner may select one or more Annuitant's Beneficiaries and name
them in the application. Thereafter, while the Annuitant is living, the
Contract Owner may change the Annuitant's Beneficiary by sending us the
appropriate Company form. Such change will take effect on the date such form
is signed by the Contract Owner but will not affect any payment made or other
action taken before the Company acknowledges such form. You may also make the
designation of Annuitant's Beneficiary irrevocable by sending us the
appropriate Company form and obtaining approval from the Company. Changes in
the Annuitant's Beneficiary may then be made only with the consent of the
designated irrevocable Annuitant's Beneficiary.
If the Annuitant dies prior to the Annuity Date, the following will apply
unless the Contract Owner has made other provisions.
(a) If there is more than one Annuitant's Beneficiary, each will share in
the Death Benefits equally;
(b) If one or two or more Annuitant's Beneficiaries have already died, that
share of the Death Benefit will be paid equally to the survivor(s);
(c) If no Annuitant's Beneficiary is living, the proceeds will be paid to
the Contract Owner;
(d) Unless otherwise provided, if an Annuitant's Beneficiary dies at the
same time as the Annuitant, the proceeds will be paid as though the
Annuitant's Beneficiary had died first. Unless otherwise provided, if
an Annuitant's Beneficiary dies within 15 days after the Annuitant's
death and before the Company receives due proof of the Annuitant's
death, proceeds will be paid as though the Annuitant's Beneficiary had
died first.
If an Annuitant's Beneficiary who is receiving Annuity Payments dies, any
remaining payments certain will be paid to that Annuitant's Beneficiary's
named beneficiary(ies) when due. If no Annuitant's Beneficiary survives the
Annuitant,
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the right to any amount payable will pass to the Contract Owner. If the
Contract Owner is the Annuitant, this right will pass to his or her estate. If
a Life Annuity with Period Certain option was elected, and if the Annuitant
dies on or after the Annuity Date, any unpaid payments certain will be paid to
the Annuitant's Beneficiary or your designated Payee.
DEATH OF ANNUITANT PRIOR TO ANNUITY DATE
If the Annuitant dies prior to the Annuity Date, an amount will be paid as
proceeds to the Annuitant's Beneficiary. The Death Benefit is calculated and
is payable upon receipt of due Proof of Death of the Annuitant as well as
proof that the Annuitant died prior to the Annuity Date. Upon receipt of this
proof, the Death Benefit will be paid within seven days, or as soon thereafter
as the Company has sufficient information about the Annuitant's Beneficiary to
make the payment. The Annuitant's Beneficiary may receive the amount payable
in a lump sum cash benefit or under one of the Annuity Payment Options.
The Death Benefit is the greater of:
(1) The Accumulated Value on the date we receive due Proof of Death; or
(2) The Adjusted Death Benefit.
During the first six Contract Years, the Adjusted Death Benefit will be the
sum of all Net Purchase Payments made, less any partial withdrawals taken.
During each subsequent six-year period, the Adjusted Death Benefit will be the
Death Benefit on the last day of the previous six-year period plus any Net
Purchase Payments made, less any partial withdrawals taken during the current
six-year period. After the Annuitant attains age 75, the Adjusted Death
Benefit will remain equal to the Death Benefit on the last day of the six year
period before age 75 occurs plus any Net Purchase Payments subsequently made,
less any partial withdrawals subsequently taken.
ANNUITY DATE
You may specify an Annuity Date in the application, which can be no later than
the first day of the month after the Annuitant's 85th birthday, without the
Company's prior approval. The Annuity Date is the date that Annuity Payments
are scheduled to commence under the Contract unless the Contract has been
surrendered or an amount has been paid as proceeds to the designated
Annuitant's Beneficiary prior to that date.
You may advance or defer the Annuity Date. However, the Annuity Date may not
be advanced to a date prior to 30 days after the date of receipt of a written
request or, without the Company's prior approval, deferred to a date beyond
the first day of the month after the Annuitant's 85th birthday. The Annuity
Date may only be changed by written request during the Annuitant's lifetime
and must be made at least 30 days before the then-scheduled Annuity Date. The
Annuity Date and Annuity Payment Options available for Qualified Contracts may
also be controlled by endorsements, the plan or applicable law.
LUMP SUM PAYMENT OPTION
You may surrender the Contract at any time while the Annuitant is living and
before the Annuity Date. The Surrender Value is equal to the Accumulated
Value, less any applicable deferred sales load (i.e., surrender charge) and
any Premium Taxes incurred but not yet deducted.
ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTIONS
All Annuity Payment Options (except for the Designated Period Annuity Option)
are offered as "Variable Annuity Options." This means that Annuity Payments,
after the initial payment, will reflect the investment experience of the
Portfolio or Portfolios you have chosen. All Annuity Payment Options are also
offered as "Fixed Annuity Options." This means that the amount of each payment
will be set on the Annuity Date and will not change. The following Annuity
Payment Options are available under the Contract:
Life Annuity--Monthly Annuity Payments are paid for the life of an Annuitant,
ceasing with the last Annuity Payment due prior to the Annuitant's death.
Joint and Last Survivor Annuity--Monthly Annuity Payments are paid for the
life of two Annuitants and thereafter for the life of the survivor, ceasing
with the last Annuity Payment due prior to the survivor's death.
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Life Annuity with Period Certain--Monthly Annuity Payments are paid for the
life of an Annuitant, with a Period Certain of not less than 120, 180, or 240
months, as elected.
Installment or Unit Refund Life Annuity--Available as either a Fixed
(Installment Refund) or Variable (Unit Refund) Annuity Option. Monthly Annuity
Payments are paid for the life of an Annuitant, with a Period Certain
determined by dividing the Accumulated Value by the first Annuity Payment.
Designated Period Annuity--Only available as a Fixed Annuity Option. Monthly
Annuity Payments are paid for a Period Certain as elected, which may be from
10 to 30 years.
Before the Annuity Date and while the Annuitant is living, you may change the
Annuity Payment Option by written request. The request for change must be made
at least 30 days prior to the Annuity Date and is subject to the approval of
the Company. If an Annuity Payment Option is chosen that depends on the
continuation of the life of the Annuitant, proof of birth date may be required
before Annuity Payments begin. For Annuity Payment Options involving life
income, the actual age of the Annuitant will affect the amount of each
payment. Since payments to older Annuitants are expected to be fewer in
number, the amount of each Annuity Payment will generally be greater.
All or part of the Accumulated Value may be placed under one or more Annuity
Payment Options. If Annuity Payments are to be paid under more than one
option, the Company must be told what part of the Accumulated Value is to be
paid under each option.
If at the time of any Annuity Payment you have not provided the Company with a
written election not to have federal income taxes withheld, the Company must
by law withhold such taxes from the taxable portions of such Annuity Payment
and remit that amount to the federal government.
In the event that an Annuity Payment Option is not selected, the Company will
make monthly Annuity Payments that will go on for as long as the Annuitant
lives (120 payments guaranteed) in accordance with the Life Annuity with
Period Certain Option and the annuity benefit sections of the Contract. That
portion of the Accumulated Value that has been held in a Portfolio prior to
the Annuity Date will be applied under a Variable Annuity Option based on the
performance of that Portfolio. Subject to approval by the Company, you may
select any other Annuity Payment Option then being offered by the Company. All
Fixed Annuity Payments and the initial Variable Annuity Payment are guaranteed
to be not less than as provided by the Annuity Tables and the Annuity Payment
Option elected by the Contract Owner. The minimum payment, however, is $100.
If the Accumulated Value is less than $2,000 the Company has the right to pay
that amount in a lump sum. From time to time, the Company may require proof
that the Annuitant or Contract Owner is living. Annuity Payment Options are
not available to: (1) an assignee; or (2) any other than a natural person,
except with the consent of the Company.
We may, at the time of election of an Annuity Payment Option, offer more
favorable rates in lieu of the guaranteed rates specified in the Annuity
Tables found in the Contract.
The value of Variable Annuity Payments will reflect the investment experience
of the chosen Portfolio. Only one Variable Annuity Option may be chosen from
among those made available by the Company for each Portfolio. The Annuity
Tables, which are contained in the Contract and are used to calculate the
value of the initial Variable Annuity Payment, are based on an assumed
interest rate of 4%. If the actual net investment experience exactly equals
the assumed interest rate, then the Variable Annuity Payments will remain the
same (equal to the first Annuity Payment). However, if actual investment
experience exceeds the assumed interest rate, the Variable Annuity Payments
will increase; conversely, they will decrease if the actual experience is
lower. The method of computation of Variable Annuity Payments is described in
more detail in the Statement of Additional Information.
The value of all payments, both fixed and variable, will be greater for
shorter guaranteed periods than for longer guaranteed periods, and greater for
life annuities than for joint and survivor annuities, because they are
expected to be made for a shorter period.
After the Annuity Date, you may change the Portfolio funding the Variable
Annuity Payments on the appropriate Company form or by calling our
Administrative Offices at 1-800-250-1828.
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DEFERMENT OF PAYMENT
Payment of any cash withdrawal or lump sum Death Benefit due from the Separate
Account will occur within seven days from the date the election becomes
effective except that the Company may be permitted to defer such payment if:
(1) the New York Stock Exchange is closed for other than usual weekends or
holidays, or trading on the New York Stock Exchange is otherwise restricted; or
(2) an emergency exists as defined by the SEC, or the SEC requires that trading
be restricted; or (3) the SEC permits a delay for the protection of Contract
Owners.
FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS
INTRODUCTION
The ultimate effect of federal income taxes on the amounts paid for the
Contract, on the investment return on assets held under a Contract, on Annuity
Payments, and on the economic benefits to the Contract Owner, Annuitant or
Annuitant's Beneficiary, depends on the terms of the Contract, the Company's
tax status and upon the tax status of the individuals concerned. The following
discussion is general in nature and is not intended as tax advice. You should
consult a tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of purchasing a Contract.
No attempt is made to consider any applicable state or other tax laws.
Moreover, the discussion is based upon the Company's understanding of the
federal income tax laws as they are currently interpreted. No representation is
made regarding the likelihood of continuation of the federal income tax laws,
the Treasury regulations or the current interpretations by the Internal Revenue
Service. We reserve the right to make uniform changes in the Contract to the
extent necessary to continue to qualify the Contract as an annuity. For a
discussion of federal income taxes as they relate to the Funds, please see the
accompanying Prospectuses for the Funds.
TAXATION OF ANNUITIES IN GENERAL
Section 72 of the Code governs taxation of annuities. In general, a Contract
Owner is not taxed on increases in value under a Contract until some form of
withdrawal or distribution is made under it. However, under certain
circumstances, the increase in value may be subject to current federal income
tax. (See "Contracts Owned by Non-Natural Persons" and "Diversification
Standards," page 25.)
Section 72 provides that the proceeds of a full or partial withdrawal from a
Contract prior to the Annuity Date will be treated as taxable income to the
extent the amounts held under the Contract exceed the "investment in the
Contract," as that term is defined in the Code. The "investment in the
Contract" can generally be described as the cost of the Contract, and generally
constitutes all Purchase Payments paid for the Contract less any amounts
received under the Contract that are excluded from the individual's gross
income. The taxable portion is taxed at ordinary income tax rates. For purposes
of this rule, a pledge or assignment of a Contract is treated as a payment
received on account of a partial withdrawal of a Contract.
Upon receipt of a full or partial withdrawal or an Annuity Payment under the
Contract, you will be taxed if the value of the Contract exceeds the investment
in the Contract. Ordinarily, the taxable portion of such payments will be taxed
at ordinary income tax rates. Partial withdrawals are generally taken out of
earnings first and then Purchase Payments.
For Fixed Annuity Payments, in general, the taxable portion of each payment is
determined by using a formula known as the "exclusion ratio," which establishes
the ratio that the investment in the Contract bears to the total expected
amount of Annuity Payments for the term of the Contract. That ratio is then
applied to each payment to determine the non-taxable portion of the payment.
The remaining portion of each payment is taxed at ordinary income tax rates.
For Variable Annuity Payments, in general, the taxable portion is determined by
a formula that establishes a specific dollar amount of each payment that is not
taxed. The dollar amount is determined by dividing the investment in the
Contract by the total number of expected periodic payments. The remaining
portion of each payment is taxed at ordinary income tax rates. Once the
excludible portion of Annuity Payments to date equals the investment in the
Contract, the balance of the Annuity Payments will be fully taxable.
Generally, the entire amount distributed from a Qualified Contract is taxable
to the Contract Owner. In the case of Qualified Contracts with after tax
contributions, the Contract Owner is entitled to exclude the portion of each
withdrawal or annuity payment constituting a return of after tax contributions.
Once all of your after tax contributions have been returned to you on a non-
taxable basis, subsequent withdrawals or annuity payments are fully taxable as
ordinary
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income. Since the Company has no knowledge of the amount of after tax
contributions you have made, you will need to make this computation in the
preparation of your federal income tax return.
Withholding of federal income taxes on all distributions is required unless the
recipient elects not to have any amounts withheld and properly notifies the
Company of that election. In certain situations, taxes will be withheld on
distributions to non-resident aliens at a flat 30% rate unless an exemption
from withholding applies under an applicable tax treaty.
With respect to amounts withdrawn or distributed before the taxpayer reaches
age 59 1/2, a penalty tax is imposed equal to 10% of the taxable portion of
amounts withdrawn or distributed. However, the penalty tax will not apply to
withdrawals (i) made on or after the death of the Contract Owner or, where the
Contract Owner is not an individual, the death of the Annuitant, who is defined
as the individual the events in whose life are of primary importance in
affecting the timing and payment under the Contracts; (ii) attributable to the
taxpayer's becoming disabled within the meaning of Code Section 72(m)(7); (iii)
that are part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments made at
least annually for the life (or life expectancy) of the taxpayer, or joint
lives (or joint life expectancies) of the taxpayer and his or her beneficiary;
(iv) from a qualified plan (note, however, other penalties may apply); (v)
under a qualified funding asset (as defined in Code Section 130(d)); (vi) under
an immediate annuity contract as defined in Section 72(u)(4); (vii) allocable
to the investment in the Contract prior to August 14, 1982; or (viii) that are
purchased by an employer on termination of certain types of qualified plans and
that are held by the employer until the employee separates from service. Other
tax penalties may apply to certain distributions as well as to certain
contributions and other transactions under Qualified Contracts.
If the penalty tax does not apply to a withdrawal as a result of the
application of item (iii) above, and the series of payments are subsequently
modified (other than by reason of death or disability), the tax for the year in
which the modification occurs will be increased by an amount (as determined
under Treasury Regulations) equal to the penalty tax that would have been
imposed but for item (iii) above, plus interest for the deferral period. The
foregoing rule applies if the modification takes place (a) before the close of
the period that is five years from the date of the first payment and after the
taxpayer attains age 59 1/2, or (b) before the taxpayer reaches age 59 1/2.
THE COMPANY'S TAX STATUS
The Company is taxed as a life insurance company under Part I of Subchapter L
of the Code. Since the Separate Account is not a separate entity from the
Company and its operations form a part of the Company, it will not be taxed
separately as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Code.
Investment income and realized capital gains on the assets of the Separate
Account are reinvested and taken into account in determining the Accumulated
Value. Under existing federal income tax law, the Separate Account's investment
income, including realized net capital gains, is not taxed to the Company. The
Company reserves the right to make a deduction for taxes should they be imposed
with respect to such items in the future.
DISTRIBUTION-AT-DEATH RULES
In order to be treated as an annuity contract, a Contract must generally
provide the following two distribution rules: (a) if any Contract Owner dies on
or after the Annuity Date and before the entire interest in the Contract has
been distributed, the remaining portion of such interest must be distributed at
least as quickly as the method in effect on the Contract Owner's death; and (b)
if any Contract Owner dies before the Annuity Date, the entire interest must
generally be distributed within five years after the date of death. To the
extent such interest is payable to the Owner's Designated Beneficiary, however,
such interests may be annuitized over the life of that Owner's Designated
Beneficiary or over a period not extending beyond the life expectancy of that
Owner's Designated Beneficiary, so long as distributions commence within one
year after the Contract Owner's death. If the Owner's Designated Beneficiary is
the spouse of the Contract Owner, the Contract (together with the deferral on
tax on the accrued and future income thereunder) may be continued unchanged in
the name of the spouse as Contract Owner. The term Owner's Designated
Beneficiary means the natural person named by the Contract Owner as a
beneficiary and to whom ownership of the Contract passes by reason of the
Contract Owner's death (unless the Contract Owner was also the Annuitant--in
which case the Annuitant's Beneficiary is entitled to the Death Benefit).
If the Contract Owner is not an individual, the death of the "primary
Annuitant" (as defined under the Code) is treated as the death of the Contract
Owner. The primary Annuitant is the individual who is of primary importance in
affecting the timing or the amount of payout under a Contract. In addition,
when the Contract Owner is not an individual, a
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change in the primary Annuitant is treated as the death of the Contract Owner.
Finally, in the case of joint Contract Owners, the distribution will be
required at the death of the first of the Contract Owners.
TRANSFERS OF ANNUITY CONTRACTS
Any transfer of a Non-Qualified Contract prior to the Annuity Date for less
than full and adequate consideration will generally trigger tax on the gain in
the Contract to the Contract Owner at the time of such transfer. The investment
in the Contract of the transferee will be increased by any amount included in
the Contract Owner's income. This provision, however, does not apply to those
transfers between spouses or incident to a divorce which are governed by Code
Section 1041(a).
CONTRACTS OWNED BY NON-NATURAL PERSONS
Where the Contract is held by a non-natural person (for example, a
corporation), the Contract is generally not treated as an annuity contract for
federal income tax purposes, and the income on that Contract (generally the
increase in the net Accumulated Value less the payments) is includible in
taxable income each year. The rule does not apply where the non-natural person
is only a nominal owner such as a trust or other entity acting as an agent for
a natural person. The rule also does not apply where the Contract is acquired
by the estate of a decedent, where the Contract is a qualified funding asset
for structured settlements, where the Contract is purchased on behalf of an
employee upon termination of a qualified plan, and in the case of an immediate
annuity, as defined under Section 72(u)(4) of the Code.
ASSIGNMENTS
A transfer of ownership of a Contract, a collateral assignment or the
designation of an Annuitant or other beneficiary who is not also the Contract
Owner may result in tax consequences to the Contract Owner, Annuitant or
beneficiary that are not discussed herein. A Contract Owner contemplating such
a transfer or assignment of a Contract should contact a tax adviser with
respect to the potential tax effects of such a transaction.
MULTIPLE CONTRACTS RULE
All non-qualified annuity contracts issued by the same company (or affiliate)
to the same Contract Owner during any calendar year are to be aggregated and
treated as one contract for purposes of determining the amount includible in
the taxpayer's gross income. Thus, any amount received under any Contract prior
to the Contract's Annuity Date, such as a partial withdrawal, will be taxable
(and possibly subject to the 10% federal penalty tax) to the extent of the
combined income in all such contracts. The Treasury Department has specific
authority to issue regulations that prevent the avoidance of Code Section 72(e)
through the serial purchase of annuity contracts or otherwise. In addition,
there may be other situations in which the Treasury Department may conclude
that it would be appropriate to aggregate two or more Contracts purchased by
the same Contract Owner. The aggregation rules do not apply to immediate
annuities as defined under Section 72(u)(4) of the Code. Accordingly, a
Contract Owner should consult a tax adviser before purchasing more than one
Contract or other annuity contracts.
DIVERSIFICATION STANDARDS
To comply with certain diversification regulations (the "Regulations") under
Code Section 817(h), after a start up period, the Separate Account will be
required to diversify its investments. The Regulations generally require that
on the last day of each quarter of a calendar year, no more than 55% of the
value of the Separate Account is represented by any one investment, no more
than 70% is represented by any two investments, no more than 80% is represented
by any three investments, and no more than 90% is represented by any four
investments. A "look-through" rule applies that suggests that each Subaccount
of the Separate Account will be tested for compliance with the percentage
limitations by looking through to the assets of the Portfolios in which each
such division invests. All securities of the same issuer are treated as a
single investment. Each government agency or instrumentality will be treated as
a separate issuer for purposes of those limitations.
In connection with the issuance of temporary diversification regulations in
1986, the Treasury Department announced that such regulations did not provide
guidance concerning the extent to which Contract Owners may direct their
investments to particular divisions of a separate account. It is possible that
regulations or revenue rulings may be issued in this area at some time in the
future. It is not clear, at this time, what these regulations or rulings would
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provide. It is possible that when the regulations or ruling are issued, the
Contract may need to be modified in order to remain in compliance. For these
reasons, the Company reserves the right to modify the Contract, as necessary,
to prevent the Contract Owner from being considered the owner of assets of the
Separate Account.
We intend to comply with the Regulations to assure that the Contract continues
to be treated as annuity contracts for federal income tax purposes.
403(B) CONTRACTS
Contracts will be offered in connection with retirement plans adopted by public
school systems and certain tax-exempt organizations (Code Section 501(c)(3)
organizations) for their employees under Section 403(b) of the Code; except, as
discussed below and subject to any conditions in an employer's plan, a Contract
used in connection with a Section 403(b) Plan offers the same benefits and is
subject to the same charges described in this Prospectus.
Under 403(b) Contracts, the Contract Owner and the Annuitant must be the same
person. The Code imposes a maximum limit on annual Purchase Payments which may
be excluded from your gross income. Such limit must be calculated in accordance
with Sections 403(b), 415 and 402(g) of the Code. In addition, Purchase
Payments will be excluded from your gross income only if the 403(b) Plan meets
certain Code non-discrimination requirements.
Under your 403(b) Contract, you may borrow against your Contract's Surrender
Value after the first Contract Year. No additional loans will be extended until
prior loan balances are paid in full. The loan amount must be at least $1,000
and your Contract must have a minimum vested Accumulated Value of $2,000. The
loan amount may not exceed the lesser of (a) or (b), where (a) is 50% of the
Contract's vested Accumulated Value on the date on which the loan is made, or
$10,000, and (b) is $50,000 reduced by the excess, if any, of the highest
outstanding balance of loans during the one-year period ending on the day
before the current loan is made, over the outstanding balance of loans on the
date of the current loan. If you are married, your spouse must consent in
writing to a loan request. This consent must be given within the 90-day period
before the loan is to be made.
The loan interest rate is variable, is determined monthly, and is based on the
Moody's Corporate Bond Yield Averages-Monthly Average Corporates (the
"Average"), which is published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. We will
notify you of the initial loan interest rate at the time the loan is made. The
initial interest rate may be increased or reduced by us during the life of the
loan based on changes of the Average. If a change in the Average would cause
the initial loan interest rate (or a subsequent rate that has been previously
increased or reduced by us) to be reduced by 0.50% per annum or more, we must
reduce the loan interest rate. If a change in the Average would cause the
initial loan interest rate (or a subsequent rate that has been previously
increased or reduced by us) to be increased by 0.50% per annum, we may increase
the loan interest rate at our discretion. In no event will the loan interest
rate be greater than the maximum allowed by the insurance regulations of the
State of New York.
On the first Business Day of each calendar month, the Company will determine a
loan interest rate. The loan interest rate for the calendar month in which the
loan is effective will apply for one year from the loan effective date.
Annually on the anniversary of the loan effective date, the rate will be
adjusted to equal the loan interest rate determined for the month in which the
loan anniversary occurs.
Principal and interest on loans must be repaid in substantially level payments,
not less frequently than quarterly, over a five year term except for certain
loans for the purchase of a principal residence. If the loan interest rate is
adjusted, future payments will be adjusted so that the outstanding loan balance
is amortized in equal quarterly installments over the remaining term. The
remainder of each repayment will be credited to the individual account.
If a loan payment is not made when due, interest will continue to accrue. The
defaulted payment plus accrued interest will be deducted from any future
distributions under the Contract and paid to us. Any loan payment which is not
made when due, plus interest, will be treated as a distribution, as permitted
by law. The loan payment may be taxable to the borrower, and may be subject to
the early withdrawal tax penalty. When a loan is made, unless you instruct us
to the contrary, the number of Accumulation Units equal to the loan amount will
be withdrawn from the individual account and placed in the Collateral Fixed
Account. Accumulation Units taken from the individual account to provide a loan
do not participate in the investment experience of the related Portfolios.
Unless instructed to the contrary by you, the loan amount will be withdrawn on
a pro rata basis from the Portfolios to which Accumulated Value has been
allocated. Until
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the loan is repaid in full, that portion of the Collateral Fixed Account shall
be credited with interest at a rate of 2% less than the loan interest rate
applicable to the loan. However, the interest rate credited to the Collateral
Fixed Account will never be less than the guaranteed rate of 3%.
A bill in the amount of the quarterly principal and interest will be mailed
directly to you in advance of the payment due date. The initial quarterly
repayment will be due three months from the loan date. The loan date will be
the date that the Company receives the loan request form in good order. Payment
is due within 30 calendar days after the due date. Subsequent quarterly
installments are based on the first due date.
When repayment of principal is made, Accumulation Units will be reallocated on
a current value basis among the same investment Portfolios and in the same
proportion as when the loan was initially made, unless you specify otherwise.
If a repayment in excess of a billed amount is received, the excess will be
applied towards the principal portion of the outstanding loan. Payments
received which are less than the billed amount will not be accepted and will be
returned to you.
If a partial surrender is taken from your individual account due to nonpayment
of a billed quarterly installment, the date of the surrender will be the first
Business Day following the 30 calendar day period in which the repayment was
due.
Prepayment of the entire loan is allowed. At the time of prepayment, the
Company will bill you for any accrued interest. The Company will consider the
loan paid when the loan balance and accrued interest are paid.
If the individual account is surrendered or if the Contract Owner dies with an
outstanding loan balance, the outstanding loan balance and accrued interest
will be deducted from the Surrender Value or the Death Benefit, respectively.
If an Annuity Payment Option is elected while there is an outstanding loan
balance, the outstanding loan balance and accrued interest will be deducted
from the Accumulated Value.
The Company may require that any outstanding loan be paid if the individual
account value falls below an amount equal to 25% of total loans outstanding.
The Code requires the aggregation of all loans made to an individual employee
under a single employer-sponsored 403(b) Plan. However, since the Company has
no information concerning the outstanding loans that you may have with other
companies, it will only use the information available under Contracts issued by
the Company.
The Code imposes restrictions on full or partial surrenders from 403(b)
individual accounts attributable to Purchase Payments under a salary reduction
agreement and to any earnings on the entire 403(b) individual account credited
on and after January 1, 1989. Surrenders of these amounts are allowed only if
the Contract Owner (a) has died, (b) has become disabled, as defined in the
Code, (c) has attained age 59 1/2, or (d) has separated from service.
Surrenders are also allowed if the Contract Owner can show "hardship," as
defined by the Internal Revenue Service, but the surrender is limited to the
lesser of Purchase Payments made on or after January 1, 1989 or the amount
necessary to relieve the hardship. Even if a surrender is permitted under these
provisions, a 10% federal tax penalty may be assessed on the withdrawn amount
if it does not otherwise meet the exceptions to the penalty tax provisions.
(See "Taxation of Annuities in General," page 23.)
Under the Code, you may request a full or partial surrender of an amount equal
to the individual account cash value as of December 31, 1988 (the
"grandfathered" amount), subject to the terms of the 403(b) Plan. Although the
Code surrender restrictions do not apply to this amount, a 10% federal penalty
tax may be assessed on the withdrawn amount if it does not otherwise meet the
exceptions to the penalty tax provisions (See "Taxation of Annuities in
General," page 23.)
The Company believes that the Code surrender restrictions do not apply to tax-
free transfers pursuant to Revenue Ruling 90-24. The Company further believes
that the surrender restrictions will not apply to any "grandfathered" amount
transferred pursuant to Revenue Ruling 90-24 into another 403(b) Contract.
GENERAL INFORMATION
ADDITIONS, DELETIONS, OR SUBSTITUTIONS OF INVESTMENTS
The Company retains the right, subject to any applicable law, to make certain
changes. The Company reserves the right to eliminate the shares of any of the
Portfolios and to substitute shares of another Portfolio of the Funds, or of
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another registered, open-end management investment company, if the shares of
the Portfolios are no longer available for investment, or, if in the Company's
judgment, investment in any Portfolio would be inappropriate in view of the
purposes of the Separate Account. To the extent required by the 1940 Act,
substitutions of shares attributable to a Contract Owner's interest in a
Portfolio will not be made until SEC approval has been obtained and the
Contract Owner has been notified of the change.
New Portfolios may be established at the discretion of the Company. Any new
Portfolio will be made available to existing Contract Owners on a basis to be
determined by the Company. The Company may also eliminate one or more
Portfolios if marketing, tax, investment or other conditions so warrant.
In the event of any such substitution or change, the Company may, by
appropriate endorsement, make such changes in the Contracts as may be necessary
or appropriate to reflect such substitution or change. Furthermore, if deemed
to be in the best interests of persons having voting rights under the Contract,
the Separate Account may be operated as a management company under the 1940 Act
or any other form permitted by law, may be deregistered under the 1940 Act in
the event such registration is no longer required, or may be combined with one
or more other separate accounts.
VOTING RIGHTS
The Funds do not hold regular meetings of shareholders. The Directors/Trustees
of each Fund may call special meetings of shareholders as may be required by
the 1940 Act or other applicable law. To the extent required by law, the
Portfolio shares held in the Separate Account will be voted by the Company at
shareholder meetings of each Fund in accordance with instructions received from
persons having voting interests in the corresponding Portfolio. Fund shares as
to which no timely instructions are received or shares held by the Company as
to which Contract Owners have no beneficial interest will be voted in
proportion to the voting instructions that are received with respect to all
Contracts participating in that Portfolio. Voting instructions to abstain on
any item to be voted upon will be applied on a pro rata basis to reduce the
votes eligible to be cast.
The number of votes that are available to a Contract Owner will be calculated
separately for each Portfolio. That number will be determined by applying his
or her percentage interest, if any, in a particular Portfolio to the total
number of votes attributable to the Portfolio.
Prior to the Annuity Date, a Contract Owner holds a voting interest in each
Portfolio to which the Accumulated Value is allocated. The number of votes
which are available to a Contract Owner will be determined by dividing the
Accumulated Value attributable to a Portfolio by the net asset value per share
of the applicable Portfolio. After the Annuity Date, the person receiving
Annuity Payments has the voting interest. The number of votes after the Annuity
Date will be determined by dividing the reserve for such Contract allocated to
the Portfolio by the net asset value per share of the corresponding Portfolio.
After the Annuity Date, the votes attributable to a Contract decrease as the
reserves allocated to the Portfolio decrease. In determining the number of
votes, fractional shares will be recognized.
The number of votes of the Portfolio that are available will be determined as
of the date coincident with the date established by that Portfolio for
determining shareholders eligible to vote at the meeting of the corresponding
Fund. Voting instructions will be solicited by written communication prior to
such meeting in accordance with procedures established by such Fund.
AUDITORS
Ernst & Young LLP serves as independent auditors for the Separate Account and
the Company and will audit their financial statements annually.
LEGAL MATTERS
Jorden Burt Berenson & Johnson LLP of Washington, D.C. has provided legal
advice relating to the federal securities laws applicable to the issue and sale
of the Contracts. All matters of New York law pertaining to the validity of the
Contract and the Company's right to issue such Contracts have been passed upon
by Kimberly A. Scouller, Esquire, on behalf of the Company.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THE PROVIDIAN MARQUEE VARIABLE ANNUITY
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PAGE
<S> <C>
THE CONTRACT.............................................................. 2
Computation of Variable Annuity Income Payments......................... 2
Exchanges............................................................... 3
Exceptions to Charges and to Transaction or Balance Requirements........ 3
GENERAL MATTERS........................................................... 3
Non-Participating....................................................... 3
Misstatement of Age or Sex.............................................. 3
Assignment.............................................................. 3
Annuity Data............................................................ 4
Annual Statement........................................................ 4
Incontestability........................................................ 4
Ownership............................................................... 4
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION................................................... 4
Money Market Subaccount Yields.......................................... 4
30-Day Yield for Non-Money Market Subaccounts........................... 5
Standardized Average Annual Total Return for Subaccounts................ 5
ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES........................................... 6
Non-Standardized Actual Total Return and Non-Standardized Actual Average
Annual Total Return.................................................... 6
Non-Standardized Total Return Year-to-Date.............................. 6
Non-Standardized One Year Return........................................ 6
Non-Standardized Hypothetical Total Return and Non-Standardized
Hypothetical Average Annual Total Return............................... 6
Individualized Computer Generated Illustrations......................... 11
PERFORMANCE COMPARISONS................................................... 12
SAFEKEEPING OF ACCOUNT ASSETS............................................. 13
THE COMPANY............................................................... 14
STATE REGULATION.......................................................... 14
RECORDS AND REPORTS....................................................... 14
DISTRIBUTION OF THE CONTRACTS............................................. 14
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS......................................................... 14
OTHER INFORMATION......................................................... 15
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS...................................................... 15
Audited Financial Statements............................................ 15
</TABLE>
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FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
SEPARATE ACCOUNT C
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FOR THE
PROVIDIAN MARQUEE VARIABLE ANNUITY
Offered by
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
(A New York Stock Company)
Administrative Offices
520 Columbia Drive
Johnson City, New York 13790
This Statement of Additional Information expands upon subjects discussed in the
current Prospectus for the Providian Marquee variable annuity contracts (the
"Contracts" and each a "Contract," respectively) offered by First Providian Life
and Health Insurance Company (the "Company"). You may obtain a copy of the
Prospectus dated July 31, 1997, by calling 1-800-250-1828 or by writing to our
Administrative Offices, 520 Columbia Drive, Johnson City, New York 13790. Terms
used in the current Prospectus for the Contract are incorporated in this
Statement.
THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT A PROSPECTUS AND SHOULD BE READ
ONLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PROSPECTUS FOR THE CONTRACT.
July 31, 1997
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
- - ----------------- ----
<S> <C>
THE CONTRACT............................................................... 2
Computation of Variable Annuity Income Payments.......................... 2
Exchanges................................................................ 3
Exceptions to Charges and to Transaction or Balance Requirements......... 3
GENERAL MATTERS............................................................ 3
Non-Participating........................................................ 3
Misstatement of Age or Sex............................................... 3
Assignment............................................................... 3
Annuity Data............................................................. 4
Annual Statement......................................................... 4
Incontestability......................................................... 4
Ownership................................................................ 4
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION.................................................... 4
Money Market Subaccount Yields........................................... 4
30-Day Yield for Non-Money Market Subaccounts............................ 5
Standardized Average Annual Total Return for Subaccounts................. 5
ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES............................................ 6
Non-Standardized Actual Total Return and Non-Standardized
Actual Average Annual Total Return....................................... 6
Non-Standardized Total Return Year-to-Date............................... 6
Non-Standardized One Year Return......................................... 6
Non-Standardized Hypothetical Total Return and Non-Standardized
Hypothetical Average Annual Total Return............................... 6
Individualized Computer Generated Illustrations.......................... 11
PERFORMANCE COMPARISONS.................................................... 12
SAFEKEEPING OF ACCOUNT ASSETS.............................................. 13
THE COMPANY................................................................ 14
STATE REGULATION........................................................... 14
RECORDS AND REPORTS........................................................ 14
DISTRIBUTION OF THE CONTRACTS.............................................. 14
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.......................................................... 14
OTHER INFORMATION.......................................................... 15
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS....................................................... 15
Audited Financial Statements............................................. 15
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
THE CONTRACT
In order to supplement the description in the Prospectus, the following provides
additional information about the Contract which may be of interest to Contract
Owners.
COMPUTATION OF VARIABLE ANNUITY INCOME PAYMENTS
The amounts shown in the Annuity Tables contained in your Contract represent the
guaranteed minimum for each Annuity Payment under a Fixed Payment Option.
Variable annuity income payments are computed as follows. First, the
Accumulated Value (or the portion of the Accumulated Value used to provide
variable payments) is applied under the Annuity Tables contained in your
Contract corresponding to the Annuity Payment Option elected by the Contract
Owner and based on an assumed interest rate of 4%. This will produce a dollar
amount which is the first monthly payment. The Company may, at the time annuity
income payments are computed, offer more favorable rates in lieu of the
guaranteed rates specified in the Annuity Tables.
The amount of each Annuity Payment after the first is determined by means of
Annuity Units. The number of Annuity Units is determined by dividing the first
Annuity Payment by the Annuity Unit Value for the selected Subaccount ten
Business Days prior to the Annuity Date. The number of Annuity Units for the
Subaccount then remains fixed, unless an Exchange of Annuity Units (as set forth
below) is made. After the first Annuity Payment, the dollar amount of each
subsequent Annuity Payment is equal to the number of Annuity Units multiplied by
the Annuity Unit Value for the Subaccount ten Business Days before the due date
of the Annuity Payment.
The Annuity Unit Value for each Subaccount was initially established at $10.00
on the date money was first deposited in that Subaccount. The Annuity Unit
Value for any subsequent Business Day is equal to (a) times (b) times (c), where
(a) = the Annuity Unit Value for the immediately preceding
Business Day;
(b) = the Net Investment Factor for the day;
(c) = the investment result adjustment factor (.99989255 per day),
which recognizes an assumed interest rate of 4% per year
used in determining the Annuity Payment amounts.
The Net Investment Factor is a factor applied to a Subaccount that reflects
daily changes in the value of the Subaccount due to:
(a) = any increase or decrease in the value of the Subaccount
due to investment results;
(b) = a daily charge for the mortality and expense risks assumed
by the Company corresponding to an annual rate of 1.25%;
(c) = a daily charge for the cost of administering the Contract
corresponding to an annual charge of .15% of the value of
the Subaccount, plus the Annual Contract Fee.
The Annuity Tables contained in the Contract are based on the 1983 Table "A"
Mortality Table projected for mortality improvement to the year 2000 using
Projection Scale G and an interest rate of 4% a year.
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<PAGE>
EXCHANGES
After the Annuity Date you may, by making a written request, exchange the
current value of an existing Subaccount to Annuity Units of any other
Subaccount(s) then available. The written request for an Exchange must be
received by us, however, at least 10 Business Days prior to the first payment
date on which the Exchange is to take effect. An Exchange shall result in the
same dollar amount as that of the Annuity Payment on the date of Exchange (the
"Exchange Date"). Each year you may make an unlimited number of free Exchanges
between Subaccounts. We reserve the right to charge a $15 fee in the future for
Exchanges in excess of twelve per Contract Year.
Exchanges will be made using the Annuity Unit Value for the Subaccounts on the
date the written request for Exchange is received. On the Exchange Date, the
Company will establish a value for the current Subaccounts by multiplying the
Annuity Unit Value by the number of Annuity Units in the existing Subaccounts
and compute the number of Annuity Units for the new Subaccounts by dividing the
Annuity Unit Value of the new Subaccounts into the value previously calculated
for the existing Subaccounts.
EXCEPTIONS TO CHARGES AND TO TRANSACTION OR BALANCE REQUIREMENTS
The Company may reduce any applicable sales loads and reduce administrative
charges or other deductions from Purchase Payments in certain situations where
the Company expects to realize significant economies of scale or other economic
benefits with respect to the sales of Contracts. This is possible because sales
costs do not increase in proportion to the dollar amount of the Contracts sold.
For example, the per-dollar transaction cost for a sale of a Contract equal to
$5,000 is generally much higher than the per-dollar cost for a sale of Contract
equal to $1,000,000. As a result, any applicable sales charge declines as a
percentage of the dollar amount of Contracts sold as the dollar amount
increases.
The Company may also reduce any applicable sales loads and reduce administrative
charges and fees on sales to directors, officers and bona fide full-time
employees (and their spouses and minor children) of the Company, its ultimate
parent company, AEGON N.V., and certain of their affiliates and certain sales
representatives for the Contract. The Company may also grant waivers or
modifications of certain minimum or maximum purchase and transaction amounts or
balance requirements in these circumstances.
Notwithstanding the above, any variations in the sales loads, administrative
charges or other deductions from Purchase Payments or in the minimum or maximum
transaction or balance requirements shall reflect differences in costs or
services and shall not be unfairly discriminatory against any person.
GENERAL MATTERS
NON-PARTICIPATING
The Contracts are non-participating. No dividends are payable and the Contracts
will not share in the profits or surplus earnings of the Company.
MISSTATEMENT OF AGE OR SEX
The Company may require proof of age and sex before making Annuity Payments. If
the Annuitant's stated age, sex or both in the Contract are incorrect, the
Company will change the annuity benefits payable to those benefits which the
Purchase Payments would have purchased for the correct age and sex. In the case
of correction of the stated age and/or sex after payments have commenced, the
Company will (1) in the case of underpayment, pay the full amount due with the
next payment; (2) in the case of overpayment, deduct the amount due from one or
more future payments.
ASSIGNMENT
Any Non-Qualified Contract may be assigned by you prior to the Annuity Date and
during the Annuitant's lifetime. The Company is not responsible for the validity
of any assignment. No assignment will be recognized until the Company receives
the appropriate Company form notifying the Company of such assignment. The
interest of any beneficiary which the assignor has the right to change shall be
subordinate to the interest of an assignee. Any amount paid to the
-3-
<PAGE>
assignee shall be paid in one sum notwithstanding any settlement agreement in
effect at the time assignment was executed. The Company shall not be liable as
to any payment or other settlement made by the Company before receipt of the
appropriate Company form.
ANNUITY DATA
The Company will not be liable for obligations which depend on receiving
information from a Payee until such information is received in a form
satisfactory to the Company.
ANNUAL STATEMENT
Once each Contract Year, the Company will send you an annual statement of the
current Accumulated Value allocated to each Subaccount; and any Purchase
Payments, charges, Exchanges or withdrawals during the year. This report will
also give you any other information required by law or regulation. You may ask
for an annual statement like this at any time. We will also send you quarterly
statements. However, we reserve the right to discontinue quarterly statements
at any time.
INCONTESTABILITY
This Contract is incontestable from the Contract Date, subject to the
"Misstatement of Age or Sex" provision.
OWNERSHIP
The Contract Owner on the Contract Date is the Annuitant, unless otherwise
specified in the application. The Contract Owner may specify a new Contract
Owner by sending us the appropriate Company form at any time thereafter. The
term Contract Owner also includes any person named as a Joint Owner. A Joint
Owner shares ownership in all respects with the Contract Owner. During the
Annuitant's lifetime, all rights and privileges under this Contract may be
exercised solely by the Contract Owner. Upon the death of the Contract Owner,
ownership is retained by the surviving Joint Owner or passes to the Owner's
Designated Beneficiary, if one has been designated by the Contract Owner. If no
Owner's Designated Beneficiary has been selected or if no Owner's Designated
Beneficiary is living, then the Owner's Designated Beneficiary is the Contract
Owner's estate. From time to time the Company may require proof that the
Contract Owner is still living.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Performance information for the Subaccounts including the yield and effective
yield of the Fidelity Money Market Subaccount, the yield of the remaining
Subaccounts, and the total return of all Subaccounts, may appear in reports or
promotional literature to current or prospective Contract Owners.
Where applicable in calculating performance information, the Annual Contract Fee
is reflected as a percentage equal to the estimated total amount of fees
collected during a calendar year divided by the estimated total average net
assets of the Portfolios during the same calendar year. The fee is assumed to
remain the same in each year of the applicable period. (With respect to partial
year periods, if any, the Annual Contract Fee is pro-rated to reflect only the
applicable portion of the partial year period.)
MONEY MARKET SUBACCOUNT YIELDS
Current yield for the Fidelity Money Market Subaccount will be based on the
change in the value of a hypothetical investment (exclusive of capital changes)
over a particular 7-day period, less a pro-rata share of Subaccount expenses
accrued over that period (the "base period"), and stated as a percentage of the
investment at the start of the base period (the "base period return"). The base
period return is then annualized by multiplying by 365/7, with the resulting
yield figure carried to at least the nearest hundredth of one percent.
Calculation of "effective yield" begins with the same "base period return" used
in the calculation of yield, which is then annualized to reflect weekly
compounding pursuant to the following formula:
-4-
<PAGE>
Effective Yield = [((Base Period Return)+1)/365/7/]-1
30-DAY YIELD FOR NON-MONEY MARKET SUBACCOUNTS
Quotations of yield for the remaining Subaccounts will be based on all
investment income per Unit earned during a particular 30-day period, less
expenses accrued during the period ("net investment income"), and will be
computed by dividing net investment income by the value of a Unit on the last
day of the period, according to the following formula:
YIELD = 2[(a-b+1)/6/-1]
---
cd
Where:
[a] equals the net investment income earned during the period by the
Portfolio attributable to shares owned by a Subaccount
[b] equals the expenses accrued for the period (net of reimbursement)
[c] equals the average daily number of Units outstanding during the
period
[d] equals the maximum offering price per Accumulation Unit on the
last day of the period
Yield on a Subaccount is earned from the increase in net asset value of shares
of the Portfolio in which the Subaccount invests and from dividends declared and
paid by the Portfolio, which are automatically reinvested in shares of the
Portfolio.
STANDARDIZED AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN FOR SUBACCOUNTS
When advertising performance of the Subaccounts, the Company will show the
"Standardized Average Annual Total Return," calculated as prescribed by the
rules of the SEC, for each Subaccount. The Standardized Average Annual Total
Return is the effective annual compounded rate of return that would have
produced the cash redemption value over the stated period had the performance
remained constant throughout. The calculation assumes a single $1,000 payment
made at the beginning of the period and full redemption at the end of the
period. It reflects the deduction of all applicable sales loads (including the
contingent deferred sales load), the Annual Contract Fee and all other
Portfolio, Separate Account and Contract level charges except Premium Taxes, if
any.
Quotations of average annual total return for any Subaccount will be expressed
in terms of the average annual compounded rate of return of a hypothetical
investment in a Contract over a period of one, five and ten years (or, if less,
up to the life of the Subaccount), calculated pursuant to the formula:
P(1 + T)/n/ = ERV
Where:
(1) [P] equals a hypothetical initial Purchase Payment of $1,000
(2) [T] equals an average annual total return
(3) [n] equals the number of years
(4) [ERV] equals the ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000
Purchase Payment made at the beginning of the period (or fractional
portion thereof)
-5-
<PAGE>
ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES
NON-STANDARDIZED ACTUAL TOTAL RETURN AND NON-STANDARDIZED ACTUAL AVERAGE ANNUAL
TOTAL RETURN
The Company may show Non-Standardized Actual Total Return (i.e., the percentage
change in the value of an Accumulation Unit) for one or more Subaccounts with
respect to one or more periods. The Company may also show Non-Standardized
Actual Average Annual Total Return (i.e., the average annual change in
Accumulation Unit Value) with respect to one or more periods. For one year, the
Non-Standardized Actual Total Return and the Non-Standardized Actual Average
Annual Total Return are effective annual rates of return and are equal. For
periods greater than one year, the Non-Standardized Actual Average Annual Total
Return is the effective annual compounded rate of return for the periods stated.
Because the value of an Accumulation Unit reflects the Separate Account and
Portfolio expenses (See Fee Table in the Prospectus), the Non-Standardized
Actual Total Return and Non-Standardized Actual Average Annual Total Return also
reflect these expenses. However, these percentages do not reflect the Annual
Contract Fee, any sales loads or Premium Taxes (if any), which if included would
reduce the percentages reported by the Company.
NON-STANDARDIZED TOTAL RETURN YEAR-TO-DATE
The Company may show Non-Standardized Total Return Year-to-Date as of a
particular date, or simply Total Return YTD, for one or more subaccounts with
respect to one or more non-standardized base periods commencing at the beginning
of a calendar year. Total Return YTD figures reflect the percentage change in
actual Accumulation Unit Values during the relevant period. These percentages
reflect a deduction for the Separate Account and Portfolio expenses, but do not
include the Annual Contract Fee, any sales loads or Premium Taxes (if any),
which if included would reduce the percentages reported by the Company.
NON-STANDARDIZED ONE YEAR RETURN
The Company may show Non-Standardized One Year Return, for one or more
Subaccounts with respect to one or more non-standardized base periods commencing
at the beginning of a calendar year (or date of inception, if during the
relevant year) and ending at the end of such calendar year. One Year Return
figures reflect the percentage change in actual Accumulation Unit Values during
the relevant period. These percentages reflect a deduction for the Separate
Account and Portfolio expenses, but do not include the Annual Contract Fee, any
sales loads or Premium Taxes (if any), which if included would reduce the
percentage reported by the Company.
NON-STANDARDIZED HYPOTHETICAL TOTAL RETURN AND NON-STANDARDIZED HYPOTHETICAL
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN*
The Company may show Non-Standardized Hypothetical Total Return and
Non-Standardized Hypothetical Average Annual Total Return, calculated on the
basis of the historical performance of the Portfolios (calculated beginning from
the end of the year of inception for each Portfolio) and may assume the Contract
was in existence prior to its inception date (which it was not). After the
Contract's inception date, the calculations will reflect actual Accumulation
Unit Values. These returns are based on specified premium patterns which produce
the resulting Accumulated Values. They reflect a deduction for the Separate
Account expenses and Portfolio expenses. However, they do not include the Annual
Contract Fee, any sales loads or Premium Taxes (if any), which if included would
reduce the percentages reported.
The Non-Standardized Hypothetical Total Return for a Subaccount is the effective
annual rate of return that would have produced the ending Accumulated Value of
the stated one-year period.
The Non-Standardized Hypothetical Average Annual Total Return for a Subaccount
is the effective annual compounded rate of return that would have produced the
ending Accumulated Value over the stated period had the performance remained
constant throughout.
-6-
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
HYPOTHETICAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR PERIODS ENDING 12/31/96
Since Inception
1 Year 3 Year 5 Year Year-End
------- ------- ------- ----------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Fidelity Money Market Portfolio 3.94% 11.58% 16.38% 119.49%
Fidelity Equity-Income Portfolio 12.68% 58.65% 113.31% 214.64%
Fidelity Growth Portfolio 13.10% 48.86% 88.94% 259.96%
Fidelity Asset Manager Portfolio 13.00% 20.69% 58.94% 97.78%
Dreyfus Growth and Income Portfolio 19.06% N/A N/A 88.40%
Dreyfus Quality Bond Portfolio 1.68% 13.63% 42.56% 63.56%
TRP Equity Income Portfolio 17.88% N/A N/A 66.31%
TRP New America Growth Portfolio 18.41% N/A N/A 76.53%
TRP International Stock Portfolio 13.09% N/A N/A 24.96%
OpCap Advisors Managed Portfolio 21.05% 75.84% 123.97% 322.96%
OpCap Advisors Small Cap Portfolio 17.06% 29.82% 83.35% 185.48%
OpCap Advisors Government Income Portfolio 1.59% N/A N/A -13.24%
</TABLE>
HYPOTHETICAL AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR PERIODS ENDING 12/31/96
(Based on Single Initial Purchase)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Since Inception
1 Year 3 Year 5 Year Year-End
------ ------ ------ ---------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Fidelity Money Market Portfolio 3.94% 3.72% 3.08% 5.47%
Fidelity Equity-Income Portfolio 12.68% 16.63% 16.36% 11.85%
Fidelity Growth Portfolio 13.10% 14.18% 13.57% 13.33%
Fidelity Asset Manager Portfolio 13.00% 6.47% 9.71% 9.76%
Dreyfus Growth and Income Portfolio 19.06% N/A N/A 26.79%
Dreyfus Quality Bond Portfolio 1.68% 4.35% 7.35% 8.07%
TRP Equity Income Portfolio 17.88% N/A N/A 20.27%
TRP New America Growth Portfolio 18.41% N/A N/A 22.90%
TRP International Stock Portfolio 13.09% N/A N/A 8.42%
OpCap Advisors Managed Portfolio 21.05% 20.70% 17.50% 18.67%
OpCap Advisors Small Cap Portfolio 17.06% 9.09% 12.89% 13.26%
OpCap Advisors Government Income Portfolio 1.59% N/A N/A 6.04%
</TABLE>
* On September 16, 1994, an investment company then called Quest for Value
Accumulation Trust (the "Old Trust") was effectively divided into two investment
funds, the Old Trust and the Quest For Value Accumulation Trust that is included
in the Contract (the "New Trust"), at which time the New Trust commenced
operations. The total net assets for each of the Small Cap and Managed
Portfolios immediately after the transaction were $139,812,573 and $682,601,380,
respectively, with respect to the Old Trust and, with respect to the New Trust
were $8,129,274 and $51,345,102, for the OpCap Advisors Small Cap and OpCap
Advisors Managed Growth Portfolios, respectively. For the period prior to
September 16, 1994, the performance figures above for each of the OpCap Advisors
Small Cap and OpCap Advisors Managed Portfolios reflect the performance of the
corresponding Portfolios of the Old Trust.
-7-
<PAGE>
Note: Advertisements and other sales literature for the Portfolios may quote
total returns which are calculated on non-standardized base periods. These
total returns also represent the historic change in the value of an investment
in the Portfolios based on monthly reinvestment of dividends over a specific
period of time.
HYPOTHETICAL ILLUSTRATIONS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FIDELITY EQUITY INCOME PORTFOLIO FIDELITY EQUITY INCOME PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, 1986 $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE
AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER DECEMBER 31, 1986
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
------------------------ ---------------- ----------------------- ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------ ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/86 $ 2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/86 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/87 $ 4,000 $ 1,950 -2.51% -2.51% 12/31/87 $50,000 $ 48,743 -2.51% -2.51%
12/31/88 $ 6,000 $ 4,779 20.99% 12.46% 12/31/88 $50,000 $ 58,975 20.99% 8.60%
12/31/89 $ 8,000 $ 7,843 15.70% 14.00% 12/31/89 $50,000 $ 68,233 15.70% 10.92%
12/31/90 $10,000 $ 8,221 -16.48% 1.09% 12/31/90 $50,000 $ 56,991 -16.48% 3.33%
12/31/91 $12,000 $13,247 29.60% 9.52% 12/31/91 $50,000 $ 73,860 29.60% 8.12%
12/31/92 $14,000 $17,572 15.25% 11.01% 12/31/92 $50,000 $ 85,126 15.25% 9.27%
12/31/93 $16,000 $22,828 16.63% 12.25% 12/31/93 $50,000 $ 99,286 16.63% 10.30%
12/31/94 $18,000 $26,211 5.57% 10.90% 12/31/94 $50,000 $104,817 5.57% 9.69%
12/31/95 $20,000 $37,583 33.22% 14.48% 12/31/95 $50,000 $139,637 33.22% 12.09%
12/31/96 $22,000 $44,602 12.68% 14.20% 12/31/96 $50,000 $157,345 12.68% 12.15%
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FIDELITY GROWTH PORTFOLIO FIDELITY GROWTH PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, 1986 $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE
AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER DECEMBER 31, 1986
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
----------------------- ---------------- ----------------------- ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------ ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/86 $ 2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/86 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/87 $ 4,000 $ 2,044 2.21% 2.21% 12/31/87 $50,000 $ 51,104 2.21% 2.21%
12/31/88 $ 6,000 $ 4,609 13.96% 9.83% 12/31/88 $50,000 $ 58,240 13.96% 7.93%
12/31/89 $ 8,000 $ 8,570 29.67% 18.92% 12/31/89 $50,000 $ 75,519 29.67% 14.73%
12/31/90 $10,000 $ 9,199 -12.97% 5.67% 12/31/90 $50,000 $ 65,727 -12.97% 7.08%
12/31/91 $12,000 $16,068 43.47% 16.25% 12/31/91 $50,000 $ 94,300 43.47% 13.53%
12/31/92 $14,000 $19,475 7.79% 14.02% 12/31/92 $50,000 $101,646 7.79% 12.55%
12/31/93 $16,000 $25,276 17.70% 14.82% 12/31/93 $50,000 $119,636 17.70% 13.27%
12/31/94 $18,000 $26,889 -1.42% 11.46% 12/31/94 $50,000 $117,937 -1.42% 11.32%
12/31/95 $20,000 $38,563 33.49% 14.98% 12/31/95 $50,000 $157,433 33.49% 13.59%
12/31/96 $22,000 $45,876 13.10% 14.69% 12/31/96 $50,000 $178,051 13.10% 13.54%
</TABLE>
-8-
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FIDELITY ASSET MANAGER PORTFOLIO FIDELITY ASSET MANAGER PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, 1989 $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE
AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER DECEMBER 31, 1989
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
- - ----------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------------ ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/89 $ 2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/89 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/90 $ 4,000 $ 2,105 5.23% 5.23% 12/31/90 $50,000 $52,613 5.23% 5.23%
12/31/91 $ 6,000 $ 4,960 20.84% 15.23% 12/31/91 $50,000 $63,580 20.84% 12.76%
12/31/92 $ 8,000 $ 7,666 10.15% 12.76% 12/31/92 $50,000 $70,031 10.15% 11.89%
12/31/93 $10,000 $11,554 19.53% 15.26% 12/31/93 $50,000 $83,709 19.53% 13.75%
12/31/94 $12,000 $12,551 -7.40% 7.67% 12/31/94 $50,000 $77,511 -7.40% 9.16%
12/31/95 $14,000 $16,782 15.33% 9.67% 12/31/95 $50,000 $89,396 15.33% 10.17%
12/31/96 $16,000 $21,223 13.00% 10.42% 12/31/96 $50,000 $101,016 13.00% 10.57%
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FIDELITY MONEY MARKET PORTFOLIO FIDELITY MONEY MARKET PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, 1983 $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE
AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER DECEMBER 31, 1983
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
- - ----------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------------ ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/83 $ 2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/83 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/84 $ 4,000 $ 2,178 8.88% 8.88% 12/31/84 $50,000 $54,442 8.88% 8.88%
12/31/85 $ 6,000 $ 4,453 6.60% 7.37% 12/31/85 $50,000 $58,033 6.60% 7.73%
12/31/86 $ 8,000 $ 6,789 5.21% 6.31% 12/31/86 $50,000 $61,055 5.21% 6.88%
12/31/87 $10,000 $ 9,224 4.95% 5.78% 12/31/87 $50,000 $64,077 4.95% 6.40%
12/31/88 $12,000 $11,885 5.89% 5.81% 12/31/88 $50,000 $67,849 5.89% 6.30%
12/31/89 $14,000 $14,939 7.59% 6.29% 12/31/89 $50,000 $73,000 7.59% 6.51%
12/31/90 $16,000 $18,045 6.53% 6.35% 12/31/90 $50,000 $77,765 6.53% 6.51%
12/31/91 $18,000 $20,968 4.60% 5.98% 12/31/91 $50,000 $81,346 4.60% 6.27%
12/31/92 $20,000 $23,530 2.45% 5.32% 12/31/92 $50,000 $83,335 2.45% 5.84%
12/31/93 $22,000 $25,985 1.79% 4.71% 12/31/93 $50,000 $84,822 1.78% 5.43%
12/31/94 $24,000 $28,766 2.79% 4.41% 12/31/94 $50,000 $87,189 2.79% 5.19%
12/31/95 $26,000 $32,125 4.42% 4.41% 12/31/95 $50,000 $91,039 4.42% 5.12%
12/31/96 $28,000 $35,469 3.94% 4.35% 12/31/96 $50,000 $94,625 3.94% 5.03%
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DREYFUS QUALITY BOND PORTFOLIO DREYFUS QUALITY BOND PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, 1989 $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE
AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER DECEMBER 31, 1989
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
- - ----------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------------ ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/89 $ 2,000 N/A N/A 12/31/89 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/90 $ 4,000 $ 2,019 0.97% 0.97% 12/31/90 $50,000 $50,483 0.97% 0.97%
12/31/91 $ 6,000 $ 4,523 12.52% 8.47% 12/31/91 $50,000 $56,805 12.52% 6.59%
12/31/92 $ 8,000 $ 7,209 10.52% 9.46% 12/31/92 $50,000 $62,781 10.52% 7.88%
12/31/93 $10,000 $10,472 13.72% 11.07% 12/31/93 $50,000 $71,392 13.72% 9.31%
12/31/94 $12,000 $11,733 -5.93% 5.38% 12/31/94 $50,000 $67,161 -5.93% 6.08%
12/31/95 $14,000 $16,308 18.75% 8.83% 12/31/95 $50,000 $79,755 18.75% 8.09%
12/31/96 $16,000 $18,615 1.68% 7.13% 12/31/96 $50,000 $81,000 1.68% 7.15%
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DREYFUS GROWTH AND INCOME PORTFOLIO DREYFUS GROWTH AND INCOME PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, 1994 $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE
AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER DECEMBER 31, 1994
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
- - ----------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------------ ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/94 $2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/94 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/95 $4,000 $3,193 59.65% 59.65% 12/31/95 $50,000 $79,825 59.65% 59.65%
12/31/96 $6,000 $6,183 19.06% 32.80% 12/31/96 $50,000 $95,039 19.06% 37.87%
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
T. ROWE PRICE EQUITY INCOME PORTFOLIO T. ROWE PRICE EQUITY INCOME
PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE
1994 AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, 1994
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
----------------------- ---------------- ----------------------- ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------ ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/94 $ 2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/94 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/95 $ 4,000 $ 2,658 32.89% 32.89% 12/31/95 $50,000 $66,446 32.89% 32.89%
12/31/96 $ 6,000 $ 5,491 17.88% 23.07% 12/31/96 $50,000 $78,330 17.88% 25.16%
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL
PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE
1994 AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, 1994
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
----------------------- ---------------- ----------------------- ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------ ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/94 $ 2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/94 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/95 $ 4,000 $ 2,193 9.64% 9.64% 12/31/95 $50,000 $54,818 9.64% 9.64%
12/31/96 $ 6,000 $ 4,742 13.09% 11.89% 12/31/96 $50,000 $61,995 13.09% 11.35%
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
T. ROWE PRICE NEW AMERICAN GROWTH FUND T. ROWE PRICE NEW AMERICAN
PORTFOLIO GROWTH FUND PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE
1994 AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, 1994
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
----------------------- ---------------- ----------------------- ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------ ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/94 $ 2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/94 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/95 $ 4,000 $ 2,980 48.99% 48.99% 12/31/95 $50,000 $74,495 48.99% 48.99%
12/31/96 $ 6,000 $ 5,954 19.13% 29.63% 12/31/96 $50,000 $89,227 19.13% 33.62%
</TABLE>
-10-
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
OPCAP ADVISORS MANAGED PORTFOLIO OPCAP ADVISORS MANAGED PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE
1988 AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, 1988
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
- - ----------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------------------------- ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------ ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/88 $ 2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/88 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/89 $ 4,000 $ 2,504 25.19% 25.19% 12/31/89 $50,000 $62,595 25.19% 25.19%
12/31/90 $ 6,000 $ 3,229 -28.32% -13.46% 12/31/90 $50,000 $44,868 -28.32% -5.27%
12/31/91 $ 8,000 $ 7,809 49.36% 13.77% 12/31/91 $50,000 $67,015 49.36% 10.26%
12/31/92 $10,000 $ 7,861 -19.86% -0.70% 12/31/92 $50,000 $53,706 -19.86% 1.80%
12/31/93 $12,000 $ 9,046 -8.26% -3.32% 12/31/93 $50,000 $49,270 -8.26% -0.29%
12/31/94 $14,000 $10,124 -8.35% -4.84% 12/31/94 $50,000 $45,156 -8.35% -1.68%
12/31/95 $16,000 $17,402 43.53% -0.25% 12/31/95 $50,000 $64,814 43.53% 3.78%
12/31/96 $18,000 $23,487 21.05% 8.49% 12/31/96 $50,000 $78,459 21.05% 5.79%
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
OPCAP ADVISORS US GOVERNMENT INCOME PORTFOLIO OPCAP ADVISORS US GOVERNMENT INCOME PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT
1994 AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER MADE DECEMBER 31, 1994
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
- - ----------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------------------------- ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------- ------ ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/94 $ 2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/94 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/95 $ 4,000 $ 2,201 10.07% 10.07% 12/31/95 $50,000 $55,035 10.07% 10.-7%
12/31/96 $ 6,000 $ 4,294 2.21% 4.83% 12/31/96 $50,000 $56,250 2.21% 6.07%
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
OPCAP ADVISORS SMALL CAPITAL PORTFOLIO OPCAP ADVISORS SMALL CAPITAL PORTFOLIO
$2,000 PURCHASE PAYMENT MADE DECEMBER 31, $50,000 SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT
1988 AND YEARLY DECEMBER 31ST THEREAFTER MADE DECEMBER 31, 1988
Values prior to current Values prior to current
year's purchase payment Non-Standardized year's purchase payment Non-Standardized
- - ----------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------------------------- ----------------
One Average One Average
Year Annual Year Annual
Cumulative Accumulated Total Total Cumulative Accumulated Total Total
Date Payment Value Return Return Date Payment Value Return Return
- - ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------ ---- ---------- ----------- ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
12/31/88 $ 2,000 N/A N/A N/A 12/31/88 $50,000 N/A N/A N/A
12/31/89 $ 4,000 $ 2,290 14.52% 14.52% 12/31/89 $50,000 $57,259 14.52% 14.52%
12/31/90 $ 6,000 $ 3,225 -24.82% -13.52% 12/31/90 $50,000 $43,047 -24.82% -7.21%
12/31/91 $ 8,000 $ 8,457 61.85% 18.17% 12/31/91 $50,000 $69,670 61.85% 11.69%
12/31/92 $10,000 $ 8,457 -19.13% 2.24% 12/31/92 $50,000 $56,345 -19.13% 3.03%
12/31/93 $12,000 $10,143 -3.01% 0.47% 12/31/93 $50,000 $54,650 -3.01% 1.79%
12/31/94 $14,000 $ 9,917 -18.33% -5.42% 12/31/94 $50,000 $44,634 -18.33% -1.87%
12/31/95 $16,000 $13,541 13.63% -0.42% 12/31/95 $50,000 $50,715 13.63% 0.20%
12/31/96 $18,000 $18,192 17.06% 2.85% 12/31/96 $50,000 $59,365 17.06% 2.17%
</TABLE>
Individualized Computer Generated Illustrations
The Company may from time to time use computer-based software available through
Morningstar, CDA/Wiesnberger and/or other firms to provide registered
representatives and existing and/or potential owners of Contracts with
individualized hypothetical performance illustrations for some or all of the
Portfolios. Such illustrations may include, without limitation, graphs, bar
charts and other types of formats presenting the following information: (i) the
historical results of a hypothetical investment in a single Portfolio; (ii) the
historical fluctuation of the value of a single Portfolio (actual and
hypothetical); (iii) the historical results of a hypothetical investment in more
than one Portfolios; (iv) the historical performance of two or more market
indices in relation to one another and/or one or more Portfolios; (v) the
historical performance of two or more market indices in comparison to a single
Portfolio or a group of Portfolios; (vi) a market risk/reward scatter chart
showing the historical risk/reward relationship of one or more mutual funds or
-11-
<PAGE>
Portfolios to one or more indices and a broad category of similar anonymous
variable annuity subaccounts; and (vii) Portfolio data sheets showing various
information about one or more Portfolios (such as information concerning total
return for various periods, fees and expenses, standard deviation, alpha and
beta, investment objective, inception date and net assets).
PERFORMANCE COMPARISONS
Performance information for any Subaccount reflects only the performance of a
hypothetical Contract under which Accumulation Value is allocated to a
Subaccount during a particular time period on which the calculations are based.
Performance information should be considered in light of the investment
objectives and policies, characteristics and quality of the Portfolio in which
the Subaccount invests, and the market conditions during the given period, and
should not be considered as a representation of what may be achieved in the
future.
Reports and marketing materials may, from time to time, include information
concerning the rating of First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company as
determined by one or more of the ratings services listed below, or other
recognized rating services. Reports and promotional literature may also contain
other information including (i) the ranking of any Subaccount derived from
rankings of variable annuity separate accounts or other investment products
tracked by Lipper Analytical Services or by other rating services, companies,
publications, or other person who rank separate accounts or other investment
products on overall performance or other criteria, and (ii) the effect of tax-
deferred compounding on a Subaccount's investment returns, or returns in
general, which may be illustrated by graphs, charts, or otherwise, and which may
include a comparison, at various points in time, of the return from an
investment in a Contract (or returns in general) on a tax-deferred basis
(assuming one or more tax rates) with the return on a taxable basis.
Each Subaccount's performance depends on, among other things, the performance of
the underlying Portfolio which, in turn, depends upon such variables as:
. quality of underlying investments;
. average maturity of underlying investments;
. type of instruments in which the Portfolio is invested;
. changes in interest rates and market value of underlying investments;
. changes in Portfolio expenses; and
. the relative amount of the Portfolio's cash flow.
From time to time, we may advertise the performance of the Subaccounts and the
underlying Portfolios as compared to similar funds or portfolios using certain
indexes, reporting services and financial publications, and we may advertise
rankings or ratings issued by certain services and/or other institutions. These
may include, but are not limited to, the following:
. Dow Jones Industrial Average ("DJIA"), an unmanaged index representing share
prices of major industrial corporations, public utilities, and transportation
companies. Produced by the Dow Jones & Company, it is cited as a principal
indicator of market conditions.
. Standard & Poor's Daily Stock Price Index of 500 Common Stocks, a composite
index of common stocks in industrial, transportation, and financial and
public utility companies, which can be used to compare to the total returns
of funds whose portfolios are invested primarily in common stocks. In
addition, the Standard & Poor's index assumes reinvestments of all dividends
paid by stocks listed on its index. Taxes due on any of these distributions
are not included, nor are brokerage or other fees calculated into the
Standard & Poor's figures.
. Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., a reporting service that ranks funds in
various fund categories by making comparative calculations using total
return. Total return assumes the reinvestment of all income dividends and
capital gains distributions, if any. From time to time, we may quote the
Portfolios' Lipper rankings in various fund categories in advertising and
sales literature.
. Bank Rate Monitor National Index, Miami Beach, Florida, a financial reporting
service which publishes weekly average rates of 50 leading bank and thrift
institution money market deposit accounts. The rates
-12-
<PAGE>
published in the index are an average of the personal account rates offered
on the Wednesday prior to the date of publication by ten of the largest banks
and thrifts in each of the five largest Standard Metropolitan Statistical
Areas. Account minimums range upward from $2,500 in each institution, and
compounding methods vary. If more than one rate is offered, the lowest rate
is used. Rates are subject to change at any time specified by the
institution.
. Shearson Lehman Government/Corporate (Total) Index, an index comprised of
approximately 5,000 issues which include: non-convertible bonds publicly
issued by the U.S. government or its agencies; corporate bonds guaranteed by
the U.S. government and quasi-federal corporations; and publicly issued,
fixed-rate, non-convertible domestic bonds of companies in industry, public
utilities and finance. The average maturity of these bonds approximates nine
years. Tracked by Shearson Lehman, Inc., the index calculates total returns
for one month, three month, twelve month, and ten year periods and year-to-
date.
. Shearson Lehman Government/Corporate (Long-Term) Index, an index composed of
the same types of issues as defined above. However, the average maturity of
the bonds included in this index approximates 22 years.
. Shearson Lehman Government Index, an unmanaged index comprised of all
publicly issued, non-convertible domestic debt of the U.S. government, or any
agency thereof, or any quasi-federal corporation and of corporate debt
guaranteed by the U.S. government. Only notes and bonds with a minimum
outstanding principal of $1 million and a minimum maturity of one year are
included.
. Morningstar, Inc., an independent rating service that publishes the bi-weekly
Mutual Fund Values. Mutual Fund Values rates more than 1,000 NASDAQ-listed
mutual funds of all types, according to their risk-adjusted returns. The
maximum rating is five stars, and ratings are effective for two weeks.
. Money, a monthly magazine that regularly ranks money market funds in various
categories based on the latest available seven-day compound (effective)
yield. From time to time, the Fund will quote its Money ranking in
advertising and sales literature.
. Standard & Poor's Utility Index, an unmanaged index of common stocks from
forty different utilities. This index indicates daily changes in the price of
the stocks. The index also provides figures for changes in price from the
beginning of the year to date, and for a twelve month period.
. Dow Jones Utility Index, an unmanaged index comprised of fifteen utility
stocks that tracks changes in price daily and over a six month period. The
index also provides the highs and lows for each of the past five years.
. The Consumer Price Index, a measure for determining inflation.
Investors may use such indexes (or reporting services) in addition to the Funds'
Prospectuses to obtain a more complete view of each Portfolio's performance
before investing. Of course, when comparing each Portfolio's performance to any
index, conditions such as composition of the index and prevailing market
conditions should be considered in assessing the significance of such companies.
Unmanaged indexes may assume the reinvestment of dividends but generally do not
reflect deductions for administrative and management costs and expenses.
When comparing funds using reporting services, or total return and yield, or
effective yield, investors should take into consideration any relevant
differences in funds such as permitted portfolio compositions and methods used
to value portfolio securities and compute offering price.
SAFEKEEPING OF ACCOUNT ASSETS
Title to assets of the Separate Account is held by the Company. The Assets are
kept physically segregated and held separate and apart from the Company's
General Account assets. The General Account contains all of the assets of the
-13-
<PAGE>
Company. Records are maintained of all purchases and redemptions of eligible
Portfolio shares held by each of the Subaccounts and the General Account.
THE COMPANY
All the stock of the Company is owned by Veterans Life Insurance Company, which
is a subsidiary of Providian Life and Health Insurance Company, a Missouri
insurance company ("PLH"). Providian Corporation owns a 4% interest in PLH and
61%, 15%, and 20% interests in PLH, respectively, are held by Commonwealth Life
Insurance Company, Peoples Security Life Insurance Company, and Capital Liberty,
L.P. Commonwealth Life Insurance Company and Peoples Security Life Insurance
Company are each wholly owned by Capital General Development Corporation, which
in turn is wholly owned by Providian Corporation. A 3% interest in Capital
Liberty, L.P. is owned by Providian Corporation, which is the general partner,
and 78% and 19% interests, respectively, are held by two limited partners,
Commonwealth Life Insurance Company and Peoples Security Life Insurance Company.
Providian Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of AEGON International N.V.
AEGON International N.V. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AEGON N.V. Vereniging
AEGON (a Netherlands membership association) has a 53% interest in AEGON
N.V.
STATE REGULATION
The Company is a stock life insurance company organized under the laws of the
State of New York, and is subject to regulation by the New York State Department
of Insurance. An annual statement is filed with the New York Superintendent of
Insurance on or before March 1st of each year covering the operations and
reporting on the financial condition of the Company as of December 31st of the
preceding calendar year. Periodically, the New York Superintendent of Insurance
examines the financial condition of the Company, including the liabilities and
reserves of the Separate Account.
In addition, the Company is subject to the insurance laws and regulations of all
the states where it is licensed to operate. The availability of certain contract
rights and provisions depends on state approval and/or filing and review
processes. Where required by state law or regulation, the Contracts will be
modified accordingly.
RECORDS AND REPORTS
All records and accounts relating to the Separate Account will be maintained by
the Company or by its Administrator. As presently required by the Investment
Company Act of 1940 and regulations promulgated thereunder, the Company will
mail to all Contract Owners at their last known address of record, at least
semi-annually, reports containing such information as may be required under that
Act or by any other applicable law or regulation.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE CONTRACTS
Providian Securities Corporation ("PSC"), the principal underwriter of the
Contracts, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Providian Financial Services, Inc.,
which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Providian Corporation. PSC is registered
with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as a broker-dealer and is
a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Commissions and
expense allowance payments not to exceed, in the aggregate, 6.75% of Purchase
Payments may be paid to entities which sell the Contracts. Additional payments
may be made for other services not directly related to the sale of the
Contracts.
The Contracts are offered to the public through brokers licensed under the
federal securities laws and New York State insurance laws that have entered into
agreements with PSC. The offering of the Contracts is continuous and PSC does
not anticipate discontinuing the offering of the Contracts. However, PSC does
reserve the right to discontinue the offering of the Contracts.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
There are no legal proceedings to which the Separate Account is a party or to
which the assets of the Separate Account are subject. The Company is not
involved in any litigation that is of material importance in relation to its
total assets or that relates to the Separate Account.
-14-
<PAGE>
OTHER INFORMATION
A Registration Statement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, under the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, with respect to the
Contracts discussed in this Statement of Additional Information. Not all of the
information set forth in the Registration Statement, amendments and exhibits
thereto has been included in this Statement of Additional Information.
Statements contained in this Statement of Additional Information concerning the
content of the Contracts and other legal instruments are intended to be
summaries. For a complete statement of the terms of these documents, reference
should be made to the instruments filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited statutory-basis financial statements of the Company for the years
ended December 31, 1996 and 1995, including the Reports of Independent Auditors'
thereon, which are also included in this Statement of Additional Information,
should be distinguished from the financial statements of the Separate Account
and should be considered only as bearing on the ability of the Company to meet
its obligations under the Contracts. They should not be considered as bearing on
the investment performance of the assets held in the Separate Account. No
financial statements are included for the Separate Account because, as of the
end of the most recent fiscal year, the Subaccounts of the Separate Account,
which invest in the Portfolios offered by the Providian Marquee Variable
Annuity, had not commenced operations and consequently had no assets or
liabilities with respect thereto.
-15-
<PAGE>
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 24. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(a) Financial Statements.
Part A. None
Part B. As of the date of the Prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information, First Providian Life and Health Insurance
Company Separate Account C had no assets or liabilities and
therefore, no financial statements are presented with respect
to the Separate Account.
Part C. None
(b) Exhibits.
(1) Resolution of the Board of Directors of First Providian Life
and Health Insurance Company ("First Providian") authorizing
establishment of the Separate Account./2/
(2) Not Applicable.
(3) Distribution Agreement.
(a) Form of Selling Agreement./2/
(4) (a) Form of variable annuity contract./2/
(5) (a) Form of Application./2/
(6) (a) Amended and Restated Charter of First Providian/2/
(b) By-Laws of First Providian as amended February 28,
1995./2/
(7) Not Applicable.
(8) (a) Participation Agreement among Variable Insurance
Products Fund, Fidelity Distributor's Corporation and
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
dated November 15, 1996.
(b) Participation Agreement among Variable Insurance
Products Fund II, Fidelity Distributor's Corporation
and First Providian dated November 15, 1996.
(c) Participation Agreement among T. Rowe Price
International Series, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Equity
Series, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc.
and First Providian dated November 15, 1996.
(d) Participation Agreement between Dreyfus Variable
Investment Fund and First Providian dated November 15,
1996.
(e) Participation Agreement by and among OCC Accumulation
Trust, First Providian and OCC Distributors dated
November 1, 1996./1/
(9) (a) Opinion and Consent of Counsel./1/
(b) Consent of Counsel./1/
(10) Consent of Independent Auditors./1/
(11) No Financial Statements are omitted from Item 23.
(12) Not Applicable.
(13) Performance Computation./2/
(14) Not Applicable.
- - -------------------------------------
/1/Filed herewith.
/2/Incorporated by reference from Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the
Registration Statement of First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company,
File No. 33-94210.
<PAGE>
Item 25. Directors and Officers of the Depositor
Principal business address is 520 Columbia Drive, Johnson City, New York
13790.
Chairman of the Board & President David J. Miller
Senior Vice President Martin Renninger
Senior Vice President Carol E. Ballentine
Vice President Brian Alford
Vice President Nathan C. Anguiano
Vice President Edward A. Biemer
Vice President Thomas P. Bowie
Senior Vice President, Treasurer &
Senior Financial Officer Dennis E. Brady
Vice President Gregory J. Garvin
Vice President Carolyn M. Johnson
Vice President/Underwriting William J. Kline
Vice President & Secretary Susan E. Martin
Vice President Kevin P. McGlynn
Vice President Thomas B. Nesspor
Vice President G. Eric O'Brien
Vice President Daniel H. Odum
Vice President and Actuary John C. Prestwood, Jr.
Vice President Nancy B. Schuckert
Vice President Joseph D. Strenk
Assistant Vice President Geralyn Barbato
Assistant Vice President &
Qualified Actuary Michael A. Cioffi
Assistant Vice President Mary Ellen Fahringer
Assistant Vice President Patricia A. Lukacs
Assistant Vice President and
Consumer Services Officer Rosalie M. Smith
Assistant Controller Paul J. Lukacs
Assistant Controller Joseph C. Noone
Second Vice President Cindy L. Chanley
Second Vice President George E. Claiborne, Jr.
Second Vice President Michele Coan
Second Vice President Karen H. Fleming
Second Vice President Michael F. Lane
Second Vice President Robin Morgan
Second Vice President Frank J. Rosa
Second Vice President/Investments Terri L. Allen
Second Vice President/Investments Kirk W. Buese
Second Vice President/Investments Joel L. Coleman
Second Vice President/Investments William S. Cook
Second Vice President/Investments Deborah A. Dias
Second Vice President/Investments Eric B. Goodman
Second Vice President/Investments James Grant
Second Vice President/Investments Frederick B. Howard
<PAGE>
Second Vice President/Investments Tim Kuussalo
Second Vice President/Investments Mark E. Lamb
Second Vice President/Investments James D. MacKinnon
Second Vice President/Investments Jeffrey T. McGlaun
Second Vice President/Investments Douglas H. Owen, Jr.
Second Vice President/Investments Jon L. Skaggs
Second Vice President/Investments Robert A. Smedley
Second Vice President/Investments Bradley L. Stofferahn
Second Vice President/Investments Randall K. Waddell
Second Vice President and Assistant
Secretary Edward P. Reiter
Assistant Secretary L. Jude Clark
Assistant Secretary Colleen S. Lyons
Assistant Secretary Mary Ann Malinyak
Assistant Secretary John F. Reesor
Assistant Secretary Kimberly A. Scouller
Assistant Secretary R. Michael Slaven
Product Compliance Officer James T. Bradley
DIRECTORS:
Dennis E. Brady David J. Miller
I. Donald Britton Thomas B. Nesspor
Patricia A. Collins Brian H. Perry
Jeffrey H. Goldberger Martin Renninger
Susan E. Martin Rosalie M. Smith
Kevin McGlynn John C. Prestwood, Jr.
Item 26. Persons controlled by or Under Common Control with the Depositor or
Registrant.
The Depositor, First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company ("First
Providian"), is directly and indirectly wholly owned by Providian Corporation,
which is indirectly wholly owned by AEGON N.V. The Registrant is a segregated
asset account of First Providian.
The following chart indicates the persons controlled by or under common
control with First Providian:
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Jurisdication of Percent of Voting
Name Incorporation Securities Owned Business
- - ---- ---------------- ----------------- --------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
AEGON USA, Inc. Iowa 100% AEGON U.S. Holding company
Holding Corporation
AUSA Holding Company Maryland 100% AEGON USA, Inc. Holding company
Monumental General Insurance Maryland 100% AUSA Holding Co. Holding company
Group, Inc.
Monumental General Administrators, Maryland 100% Monumental General Provides management srvcs.
Inc. Insurance Group, Inc. to unaffiliated third party
administrator
Executive Management and Consultant Maryland 100% Monumental General Provides actuarial consulting
Services, Inc. Administrators, Inc. services
Monumental General Mass Marketing, Inc. Maryland 100% Monumental General Marketing arm for sale of
Insurance Group, Inc. mass marketed insurance
coverages
Diversified Investment Advisors, Inc. Delaware 100% AUSA Holding Co. Registered investment advisor
Diversified Investors Securities Corp. Delaware 100% Diversified Investment Broker-Dealer
Advsiors, Inc.
AEGON USA Securities, Inc. Iowa 100% AUSA Holding Co. Broker-Dealer
American Forum For Fiscal Fitness, Inc. Iowa 100% AUSA Holding Co. Marketing
Supplemental Ins. Division, Inc. Tennessee 100% AUSA Holding Co. Insurance
Creditor Resources, Inc. Michigan 100% AUSA Holding Co. Credit insurance
CRC Creditor Resources Canada 100% Creditor Resources, Inc. Insurance agency
Canadian Dealer Network Inc.
AEGON USA Investment Management, Inc. Iowa 100% AUSA Holding Co. Investment advisor
AEGON USA Realty Advisors, Inc. Iowa 100% AUSA Holding Co. Provides real estate
administrative and real
estate investment services
Quantra Corporation Delaware 100% AEGON USA Realty Real estate and financial
Advisors, Inc. software production and sales
Quantra Software Corporation Delaware 100% Quantra Corporation Manufacture and sell mortgage
loan and security management
software
Landauer Realty Advisors, Inc. Iowa 100% AEGON USA Realty Real estate counseling
Advisors, Inc.
Landauer Associates, Inc. Delaware 100% AEGON USA Realty Real estate counseling
Advisors, Inc.
Realty Information Systems, Inc. Iowa 100% AEGON USA Realty Information Systems for
Advisors, Inc. real estate investment
management
AEGON USA Realty Management, Inc. Iowa 100% AEGON USA Real estate management
Realty Advisors, Inc.
USP Real Estate Investment Trust Iowa 21.89% First AUSA Life Real estate investment trust
Ins. Co.
13.11% PFL Life Ins. Co.
4.86% Bankers United Life
Assurance Co.
Cedar Income Fund, Ltd. Iowa 16.73% PFL Life Ins. Co. Real estate investment trust
3.77% Bankers United Life
Assurance Company
3.38% Life Investors Co.
of America
1.97% AEGON USA Realty
Advisors, Inc.
.18% First AUSA Life Ins. Co.
AUSA Financial Markets, Inc. Iowa 100% AUSA Holding Co. Marketing
Universal Benefits Corporation Iowa 100% AUSA Holding Co. Third party administrator
Investors Warranty of America, Inc. Iowa 100% AUSA Holding Co. Provider of automobile
extended maintenance
contracts
Massachusetts Fidelity Trust Co. Iowa 100% AUSA Holding Co. Trust company
Money Services, Inc. Delaware 100% AUSA Holding Co. Provides financial counseling
for employees and agents of
affiliated companies
Zahorik Company, Inc. California 100% AUSA Holding Co. Broker-Dealer
ZCI, Inc. Alabama 100% Zahorik Company, Inc. Insurance agency
AUSA Institutional Marketing Group, Inc. Minnesota 100% AUSA Holding Co. Insurance agency
AEGON Asset Management Services, Inc. Delaware 100% AUSA Holding Co. Registered investment advisor
Intersecurities, Inc. Delaware 100% AUSA Holding Co. Broker-Dealer
ISI Insurance Agency, Inc. California 100% Intersecurities, Inc. Insurance agency
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Jurisdication of Percent of Voting
Name Incorporation Securities Owned Business
- - ---- ---------------- ----------------- --------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
ISI Insurance Agency Ohio 100% ISI Insurance Agency, Inc. Insurance agency
of Ohio, Inc.
ISI Insurance Agency Texas 100% ISI Insurance Agency, Inc. Insurance agency
of Texas, Inc.
ISI Insurance Agency Massachusetts 100% ISI Insurance Agency, Inc. Insurance Agency
of Massachusetts, Inc.
Associated Mariner Financial Michigan 100% Intersecurities, Inc. Holding co./management
Group, Inc. - Holding company services
Mariner Financial Services, Inc. Michigan 100% Associated Mariner Broker/Dealer
Financial Group, Inc.
Mariner Planning Corporation Michigan 100% Mariner Financial Financial planning
Services, Inc.
Associated Mariner Agency, Inc. Michigan 100% Associated Mariner Insurance agency
Financial Group, Inc.
Mariner Agency of Hawaii, Inc. Hawaii 100% Associated Mariner Insurance agency
Agency, Inc.
Associated Mariner Ins. Agency Massachusetts 100% Associated Mariner Insurance agency
of Massachusetts, Inc. Agency, Inc.
Associated Mariner Agency Ohio 100% Associated Mariner Insurance agency
Ohio, Inc. Agency, Inc.
Associated Mariner Agency Texas 100% Associated Mariner Insurance agency
Texas, Inc. Agency, Inc.
Associated Mariner Agency New Mexico 100% Associated Mariner Insurance agency
New Mexico, Inc. Agency, Inc.
Mariner Mortgage Corp. Michigan 100% Associated Mariner Mortgage origination
Financial Group, Inc.
Idex Investor Services, Inc. Florida 100% AUSA Holding Co. Shareholder services
Idex Management, Inc. Delaware 50% AUSA Holding Co. Investment advisor
50% Janus Capital Corp.
IDEX II Series Fund Massachusetts Various Mutual fund
IDEX Fund Massachusetts Various Mutual fund
IDEX Fund 3 Massachusetts Various Mutual fund
First AUSA Life Insurance Co. Maryland 100% AEGON USA, Inc. Insurance holding company
AUSA Life Insurance Co. Inc. New York 100% First AUSA Life Insurance
Insurance Company
Life Investors Insurance Iowa 100% First AUSA Life Ins. Co. Insurance
Company of America
Bankers United Life Iowa 100% Life Investors Ins. Insurance
Assurance Company Company of America
PFL Life Insurance Company Iowa 100% First AUSA Life Ins. Co. Insurance
Southwest Equity Life Ins. Co. Arizona 100% of Common Voting Stock Insurance
First AUSA Life Ins. Co.
Iowa Fidelity Life Insurance Co. Arizona 100% of Common Voting Stock Insurance
First AUSA Life Ins. Co.
Western Reserve Life Assurance Co. Ohio 100% First AUSA Life Ins. Co. Insurance
of Ohio
WRL Series Fund, Inc. Maryland Various Mutual fund
WRL Investment Services, Inc. Florida 100% Western Reserve Life Provides administration for
Assurance Co. of Ohio affiliated mutual fund
WRL Investment Management, Inc. Florida 100% Western Reserve Life Registered investment advisor
Assurance Co. of Ohio
Monumental Life Insurance Co. Maryland 100% First AUSA Life Ins. Co. Insurance
Monumental General Casualty Co. Maryland 100% Monumental Life Ins. Co. Insurance
United Financial Services, Inc. Maryland 100% Monumental Life Ins. Co. General agency
Bankers Financial Life Ins. Co. Arizona 100% Monumental Life Insurance
Insurance Company
The Whitestone Corporation Maryland 100% Monumental Life Ins. Co. Insurance agency
Cadet Holding Corp. Iowa 100% First AUSA Life Holding company
Insurance Company
Providian Corporation Delaware 100% AEGON International N.V. Holding company
Providian Series Trust Massachusetts Various Mutual fund
Providian Agency Group, Inc. Kentucky 100% Providian Corp. Provider of services to ins. cos.
Benefit Plans, Inc. Delaware 100% Providian Corp. TPA for Peoples Security Life
Insurance Company
Durco Agency, Inc. Virginia 100% Benefit Plans, Inc. General agent
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Jurisdication of Percent of Voting
Name Incorporation Securities Owned Business
- - ---- ---------------- ----------------- --------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Providian Assignment Corp. Kentucky 100% Providian Corp. Administrator of structured
settlements
Providian Financial Services, Pennsylvania 100% Providian Corp. Financial services
Inc.
Providian Securities Corporation Pennsylvania 100% Providian Financial Broker-Dealer
Services, Inc.
Wannalancit Corp. Massachusetts 100% Providian Corp. Real estate holding company
Providian Investment Delaware 100% Providian Corp. Registered investment advisor
Advisors, Inc.
Providian Capital Delaware 100% Providian Corp. Provider of investment,
Management, Inc. marketing and admin. services
to ins. cos.
Providian Capital Management Delaware 100% Providian Capital Real estate and mortgage
Real Estate Services, Inc. Management, Inc. holding company
Capital Real Estate Delaware 100% Providian Corp. Furniture and equipment lessor
Development Corporation
Capital General Development Delaware 100% Providian Corp. Holding company
Corporation
Commonwealth Life Kentucky 100% Capital General Insurance company
Insurance Company Development Corporation
Agency Holding I, Inc. Delaware 100% Commonwealth Life Investment subsidiary
Insurance Company
Agency Investments I, Inc. Delaware 100% Agency Holding I, Inc. Investment subsidiary
Commonwealth Agency, Inc. Kentucky 100% Commonwealth Life Special purpose subsidiary
Insurance Company
Camden Asset Management L.P. California 51% Commonwealth Life Investment entity
Insurance Company
Peoples Security Life North Carolina 100% Capital General Insurance company
Insurance Company Development Corporation
Ammest Realty Corporation Texas 100% Peoples Security Life Special purpose subsidiary
Insurance Company
Agency Holding II, Inc. Delaware 100% Peoples Security Life Investment subsidiary
Insurance Company
Agency Investments II, Inc. Delaware 100% Agency Holding II, Inc. Investment subsidiary
Agency Holding III, Inc. Delaware 100% Peoples Security Life Investment subsidiary
Insurance Company
Agency Investments III, Inc. Delaware 100% Agency Holding III, Inc. Investment subsidiary
JMH Operating Company, Inc. Mississippi 100% Peoples Security Life Real estate holdings
Insurance Company
Capital Security Life Ins. Co. North Carolina 100% Capital General Insurance company
Development Corporation
Independence Automobile Florida 100% Capital Security Automobile Club
Association, Inc. Life Insurance Company
Independence Automobile Georgia 100% Capital Security Automobile Club
Club, Inc. Life Insurance Company
Capital 200 Block Corporation Delaware 100% Providian Corp. Real estate holdings
Capital Broadway Corporation Kentucky 100% Providian Corp. Real estate holdings
Southlife, Inc. Tennessee 100% Providian Corp. Investment subsidiary
Providian Insurance Agency, Inc. Pennsylvania 100% Providian Corp. Provider of management
support services
National Home Life Corporation Pennsylvania 100% Providian Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Agency, Inc.
Compass Rose Development Pennsylvania 100% Providian Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Corporation Agency, Inc.
Association Consultants, Inc. Illinois 100% Providian Insurance TPA license-holder
Agency, Inc.
Valley Forge Associates, Inc. Pennsylvania 100% Providian Insurance Furniture & equipment lessor
Agency, Inc.
Veterans Benefits Plans, Inc. Pennsylvania 100% Providian Insurance Administator of group
Agency, Inc. insurance programs
Veterans Insurance Services, Inc. Delaware 100% Providian Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Agency, Inc.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Jurisdication of Percent of Voting
Name Incorporation Securities Owned Business
- - ---- ---------------- ----------------- --------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Financial Planning Services, Inc. Dist. Columbia 100% Providian Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Agency, Inc.
Providian Auto and Home Missouri 100% Providian Corp. Insurance company
Insurance Company
Academy Insurance Group, Inc. Delaware 100% Providian Auto and Holding company
Home Insurance Company
Academy Life Insurance Co. Missouri 100% Academy Insurance Insurance company
Group, Inc.
Pension Life Insurance New Jersey 100% Academy Insurance Insurance company
Company of America Group, Inc.
Academy Services, Inc. Delaware 100% Academy Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Group, Inc.
Ammest Development Corp. Inc. Kansas 100% Academy Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Group, Inc.
Ammest Insurance Agency, Inc. California 100% Academy Insurance General agent
Group, Inc.
Ammest Massachusetts Massachusetts 100% Academy Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Insurance Agency, Inc. Group, Inc.
Ammest Realty, Inc. Pennsylvania 100% Academy Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Group, Inc.
AMPAC, Inc. Texas 100% Academy Insurance Managing general agent
Group, Inc.
AMPAC Insurance Agency, Inc. Pennsylvania 100% Academy Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Group, Inc.
Data/Mark Services, Inc. Delaware 100% Academy Insurance Provider of mgmt. services
Group, Inc.
Force Financial Group, Inc. Delaware 100% Academy Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Group, Inc.
Force Financial Services, Inc. Massachusetts 100% Force Fin. Group, Inc. Special-purpose subsidiary
Military Associates, Inc. Pennsylvania 100% Academy Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Group, Inc.
NCOA Motor Club, Inc. Georgia 100% Academy Insurance Automobile club
Group, Inc.
NCOAA Management Company Texas 100% Academy Insurance Special-purpose subsidiary
Group, Inc.
Unicom Administrative Pennsylvania 100% Academy Insurance Provider of admin. services
Services, Inc. Group, Inc.
Unicom Administrative Germany 100%Unicom Administrative Provider of admin. servcies
Services, GmbH Services, Inc.
Providian Property and Casualty Kentucky 100% Providian Auto and Insurance company
Insurance Company Home Insurance Company
Providian Fire Insurance Co. Kentucky 100% Providian Property Insurance company
and Casualty Insurance Co.
Capital Liberty, L.P. Delaware 78% Commonwealth Life Holding Company
Insurance Company
19% Peoples Security Life
Insurance Company
3% Providian Corp.
Providian LLC Turks & 100% Providian Corp. Special-purpose subsidiary
Caicos Islands
Providian Life and Health Missouri 4% Providian Corp. Insurance company
Insurance Company 15% Peoples Security Life
Insurance Company
20% Capital Liberty, L.P.
61% Commonwealth Life
Insurance Company
Veterans Life Insurance Co. Illinois 100% Providian Life and Insurance company
Health Insurance Company
Providian Services, Inc. Pennsylvania 100% Veterans Life Ins. Co. Special-purpose subsidiary
First Providian Life and New York 100% Veterans Life Ins. Co. Insurance Company
Health Insurance Company
</TABLE>
Item 27. Number of Contract Owners
As of June 30, 1997, there were no Contract Owners.
Item 28. Indemnification.
Item 28 is incorporated by reference from Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to
the Registration Statement of First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company,
File No. 33-94210.
<PAGE>
Item 29. Principal Underwriters
(a) Providian Securities Corporation, which serves as the principal
underwriter for the variable annuity contracts funded by Separate
Account C, also serves as the principal underwriter for variable
life insurance policies funded by Separate Account I, Separate
Account II and Separate Account V of Providian Life and Health
Insurance Company (formerly National Home Life Assurance Company).
(b) Directors and Officers
Positions and Officers
Name with Underwriter
---- ----------------
Lorri E. Mehaffy President and Director
Harvey E. Willis Vice President and Secretary
Kimberly A. Scouller Vice President and Chief Compliance
Officer
Michael F. Lane Vice President
Debra C. Cubero Vice President
Gregory J. Garvin Vice President
Larry N. Norman Vice President and Director
Anne M. Spaes Vice President
<PAGE>
Sarah J. Strange Vice President
Michael G. Ayers Controller and Treasurer
Robert. L. Walker Director
Item 30. Location of Accounts and Records
The books, accounts and other documents required by Section 31(a) under
the Investment Company Act and the rules promulgated thereunder will be
maintained in the physical possession of First Providian Life and Health
Insurance Company at its administrative offices at 520 Columbia Drive, Johnson
City, New York 13790.
Item 31. Management Services
All management contracts are discussed in Part A or Part B.
Item 31. Undertakings
(a) The Registrant hereby undertakes to file a post-effective amendment to
this registration statement as frequently as is necessary to ensure that the
audited financial statements in the registration statement are never more than
16 months old for so long as payments under the variable annuity contracts may
be accepted;
(b) The Registrant hereby undertakes to include either (1) as part of any
application to purchase a contract offered by the prospectus, a space that an
applicant can check to request a Statement of Additional Information, or (2) a
postcard or similar written communication affixed to or included in the
prospectus that the applicant can remove to sent for a Statement of Additional
Information;
(c) The Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver any Statement of
Additional Information and any financial statements required to be made
available under this Form promptly upon written or oral request.
(d) First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company represents that the
fees and charges deducted under the contract described in this registration
statement, in the aggregate, are reasonable in relation to the services
rendered, the expenses expected to be incurred and the risks assumed by First
Providian Life and Health Insurance Company.
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
As required by the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of
1940, the Registrant and the Depositor, have caused this amended Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf in the County of Jefferson Commonwealth of
Kentucky on the 25th day of July, 1997.
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE
COMPANY SEPARATE ACCOUNT C (REGISTRANT)
By: First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
By: David J. Miller*
------------------------------------------------
David J. Miller
Chairman of the Board and President
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE
COMPANY (DEPOSITOR)
By: David J. Miller*
------------------------------------------------
David J. Miller
Chairman of the Board and President
/s/ R. Michael Slaven
*By: ------------------------------------------------
R. Michael Slaven
Attorney-in-Fact
<PAGE>
As required by the Securities Act of 1933, this amended Registration Statement
has been duly signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates
indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SIGNATURE TITLE DATE
- - --------- ----- ----
<S> <C> <C>
David J. Miller* Director, Chairman of the Board July 25, 1997
- - --------------------------- and President
David J. Miller
Dennis E. Brady* Director, Senior Vice President, July 25, 1997
- - --------------------------- Treasurer and Senior Financial
Dennis E. Brady Officer
(Chief Accounting Officer)
Susan E. Martin* Director, Vice President and July 25, 1997
- - --------------------------- Secretary
Susan E. Martin
I. Donald Britton* Director July 25, 1997
- - ---------------------------
I. Donald Britton
Patricia A. Collins* Director July 25, 1997
- - ---------------------------
Patricia A. Collins
Jeffrey H. Goldberger* Director July 25, 1997
- - ---------------------------
Jeffrey H. Goldberger
Brian H. Perry* Director July 25, 1997
- - ---------------------------
Brian H. Perry
Martin Renninger* Director and Senior Vice July 25, 1997
- - --------------------------- President
Martin Renninger
Rosalie M. Smith* Director, Vice President and July 25, 1997
- - --------------------------- Consumer Services Officer
Rosalie M. Smith
Thomas B. Nesspor* Director and Vice President July 25, 1997
- - ---------------------------
Thomas B. Nesspor
Kevin P. McGlynn* Director and Vice President July 25, 1997
- - ---------------------------
Kevin P. McGlynn
John C. Prestwood Jr.* Director, Vice President July 25, 1997
- - --------------------------- and Actuary
John C. Prestwood Jr.
</TABLE>
* By: /s/ R. Michael Slaven
----------------------------
R. Michael Slaven
Attorney-in-Fact
<PAGE>
SEPARATE ACCOUNT C
PROVIDIAN MARQUEE VARIABLE ANNUITY
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT 8(a) Participation Agreement among Variable Insurance Products Fund,
Fidelity Distributor's Corporation and First Providian Life and
Health Insurance Company dated November 15, 1996.
EXHIBIT 8(b) Participation Agreement among Variable Insurance Products Fund
II, Fidelity Distributor's Corporation and First Providian Life
and Health Insurance Company dated November 15, 1996.
EXHIBIT 8(c) Participation Agreement among T. Rowe Price International
Series, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Equity Series, Inc.; T. Rowe Price
Investment Services, Inc. and First Providian Life and Health
Insurance Company dated November 15, 1996.
EXHIBIT 8(d) Participation Agreement between Dreyfus Variable Investment
Fund and First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
dated November 15, 1996.
EXHIBIT 8(e) Participation Agreement by and among OCC Accumulation Trust,
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company and OCC
Distributors dated November 1, 1996.
EXHIBIT 9(a) OPINION AND CONSENT OF COUNSEL
EXHIBIT 9(b) CONSENT OF COUNSEL
EXHIBIT 10 CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
<PAGE>
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
-----------------------
Among
VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND,
--------------------------------
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
---------------------------------
and
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
-------------------------------------------------
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as of the 15th day of November,
1996 by and among FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY,
(hereinafter the "Company"), a New York corporation, on its own behalf and on
behalf of each segregated asset account of the Company set forth on Schedule A
hereto as may be amended from time to time (each such account hereinafter
referred to as the "Account"), and the VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND, an
unincorporated business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts (hereinafter the "Fund") and FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
(hereinafter the "Underwriter"), a Massachusetts corporation.
WHEREAS, the Fund engages in business as an open-end management
investment company and is available to act as the investment vehicle for
separate accounts established for variable life insurance policies and variable
annuity contracts (collectively, the "Variable Insurance Products") to be
offered by insurance companies which have entered into participation agreements
with the Fund and the Underwriter (hereinafter "Participating Insurance
Companies"); and
WHEREAS, the beneficial interest in the Fund is divided into several
series of shares, each representing the interest in a particular managed
portfolio of securities and other assets, any one or more of which may be made
available under this Agreement, as may be amended from time to time by mutual
agreement of the parties hereto (each such series hereinafter referred to as a
"Portfolio"); and
WHEREAS, the Fund has obtained an order from the Securities and
Exchange Commission, dated October 15, 1985 (File No. 812-6102), granting
Participating Insurance Companies and variable annuity and variable life
insurance separate accounts exemptions from the provisions of sections 9(a),
13(a), 15(a), and 15(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
(hereinafter the "1940 Act") and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15)
thereunder, to the extent necessary to permit shares of the Fund to be sold to
and held by variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of
both affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies (hereinafter the
"Shared Funding Exemptive Order"); and
1
<PAGE>
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the 1940 Act and its shares are registered under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (hereinafter the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, Fidelity Management & Research Company (the "Adviser") is
duly registered as an investment adviser under the federal Investment Advisers
Act of 1940 and any applicable state securities law; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register certain variable
life insurance and variable annuity contracts under the 1933 Act; and
WHEREAS, each Account is a duly organized, validly existing segregated
asset account, established by resolution of the Board of Directors of the
Company, on the date shown for such Account on Schedule A hereto, to set aside
and invest assets attributable to the aforesaid variable annuity contracts; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register each Account as a
unit investment trust under the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Underwriter is registered as a broker dealer with the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, (hereinafter the "1934 Act"), and is a member in good standing
of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (hereinafter "NASD");
and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and
regulations, the Company intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios on behalf
of each Account to fund certain of the aforesaid variable life and variable
annuity contracts and the Underwriter is authorized to sell such shares to unit
investment trusts such as each Account at net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the
Company, the Fund and the Underwriter agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. Sale of Fund Shares
-------------------
1.1. The Underwriter agrees to sell to the Company those shares of
the Fund which each Account orders, executing such orders on a daily basis at
the net asset value next computed after receipt by the Fund or its designee of
the order for the shares of the Fund. For purposes of this Section 1.1, the
Company shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of such orders from each
Account and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund;
provided that the Fund receives notice of such order by 12:00 noon Boston time
on the next following Business Day. "Business Day" shall mean any day on which
the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which the Fund calculates
its net asset value pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
2
<PAGE>
1.2. The Fund agrees to make its shares available indefinitely for
purchase at the applicable net asset value per share by the Company and its
Accounts on those days on which the Fund calculates its net asset value pursuant
to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Fund shall use
reasonable efforts to calculate such net asset value on each day which the New
York Stock Exchange is open for trading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Board of Trustees of the Fund (hereinafter the "Board") may refuse to sell
shares of any Portfolio to any person, or suspend or terminate the offering of
shares of any Portfolio if such action is required by law or by regulatory
authorities having jurisdiction or is, in the sole discretion of the Board
acting in good faith and in light of their fiduciary duties under federal and
any applicable state laws, necessary in the best interests of the shareholders
of such Portfolio.
1.3. The Fund and the Underwriter agree that shares of the Fund will
be sold only to Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts.
No shares of any Portfolio will be sold to the general public.
1.4. The Fund and the Underwriter will not sell Fund shares to any
insurance company or separate account unless an agreement containing provisions
substantially the same as Articles I, III, V, VII and Section 2.5 of Article II
of this Agreement is in effect to govern such sales.
1.5. The Fund agrees to redeem for cash, on the Company's request,
any full or fractional shares of the Fund held by the Company, executing such
requests on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by
the Fund or its designee of the request for redemption. For purposes of this
Section 1.5, the Company shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of
requests for redemption from each Account and receipt by such designee shall
constitute receipt by the Fund; provided that the Fund receives notice of such
request for redemption on the next following Business Day.
1.6. The Company agrees that purchases and redemptions of Portfolio
shares offered by the then current prospectus of the Fund shall be made in
accordance with the provisions of such prospectus. The Company agrees that all
net amounts available under the variable annuity contracts with the form
number(s) which are listed on Schedule A attached hereto and incorporated herein
by this reference, as such Schedule A may be amended from time to time hereafter
by mutual written agreement of all the parties hereto, (the "Contracts") shall
be invested in the Fund, in such other Funds advised by the Adviser as may be
mutually agreed to in writing by the parties hereto, or in the Company's general
account, provided that such amounts may also be invested in an investment
company other than the Fund if (a) such other investment company, or series
thereof, has investment objectives or policies that are substantially different
from the investment objectives and policies of all the Portfolios of the Fund;
or (b) the Company gives the Fund and the Underwriter 45 days written notice of
its intention to make such other investment company available as a funding
vehicle for the Contracts; or (c) such other investment company was available as
a funding vehicle for the Contracts prior to the date of this Agreement and the
Company so informs the Fund and Underwriter prior to their signing this
Agreement (a
3
<PAGE>
list of such funds appearing on Schedule C to this Agreement); or (d) the Fund
or Underwriter consents to the use of such other investment company.
1.7. The Company shall pay for Fund shares on the next Business Day after an
order to purchase Fund shares is made in accordance with the provisions of
Section 1.1 hereof. Payment shall be in federal funds transmitted by wire. For
purpose of Section 2.10 and 2.11, upon receipt by the Fund of the federal funds
so wired, such funds shall cease to be the responsibility of the Company and
shall become the responsibility of the Fund.
1.8. Issuance and transfer of the Fund's shares will be by book entry only.
Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or any Account. Shares
ordered from the Fund will be recorded in an appropriate title for each Account
or the appropriate subaccount of each Account.
1.9. The Fund shall furnish same day notice (by wire or telephone, followed
by written confirmation) to the Company of any income, dividends or capital gain
distributions payable on the Fund's shares. The Company hereby elects to receive
all such income dividends and capital gain distributions as are payable on the
Portfolio shares in additional shares of that Portfolio. The Company reserves
the right to revoke this election and to receive all such income dividends and
capital gain distributions in cash. The Fund shall notify the Company of the
number of shares so issued as payment of such dividends and distributions.
1.10. The Fund shall make the net asset value per share for each Portfolio
available to the Company on a daily basis as soon as reasonably practical after
the net asset value per share is calculated (normally by 6:30 p.m. Boston time)
and shall use its best efforts to make such net asset value per share available
by 7 p.m. Boston time.
ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties
------------------------------
2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts are or will be
registered under the 1933 Act; that the Contracts will be issued and sold in
compliance in all material respects with all applicable Federal and State laws
and that the sale of the Contracts shall comply in all material respects with
state insurance suitability requirements. The Company further represents. and
warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in good standing
under applicable law and that it has legally and validly established each
Account prior to any issuance or sale thereof as a segregated asset account
under Section 4240 of the New York Insurance Laws and has registered or, prior
to any issuance or sale of the Contracts, will register each Account as a unit
investment trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as a
segregated investment account for the Contracts.
2.2. The Fund represents and warrants that Fund shares sold pursuant to this
Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, duly authorized for issuance
and sold in compliance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and
all applicable federal and state securities laws and that the Fund is and shall
remain registered under the 1940 Act. The
4
<PAGE>
Fund shall amend the Registration Statement for its shares under the 1933 Act
and the 1940 Act from time to time as required in order to effect the continuous
offering of its shares. The Fund shall register and qualify the shares for sale
in accordance with the laws of the various states only if and to the extent
deemed advisable by the Fund or the Underwriter.
2.3. The Fund represents that it is currently qualified as a
Regulated Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended, (the "Code") and that it will make every effort to maintain
such qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar provision)
and that it will notify the Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis
for believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it might not so qualify
in the future.
2.4. The Company represents that the Contracts are currently treated
as endowment or annuity insurance contracts, under applicable provisions of the
Code and that it will make every effort to maintain such treatment and that it
will notify the Fund and the Underwriter immediately upon having a reasonable
basis for believing that the Contracts have ceased to be so treated or that they
might not be so treated in the future.
2.5. The Fund currently does not intend to make any payments to
finance distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act or
otherwise, although it may make such payments in the future. The Fund has
adopted a "no fee" or "defensive" Rule 12b-1 Plan under which it makes no
payments for distribution expenses. To the extent that it decides to finance
distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1, the Fund undertakes to have a
board of trustees, a majority of whom are not interested persons of the Fund,
formulate and approve any plan under Rule 12b-1 to finance distribution
expenses.
2.6. The Fund makes no representation as to whether any aspect of its
operations (including, but not limited to, fees and expenses and investment
policies) complies with the insurance laws or regulations of the various states
except that the Fund represents that the Fund's investment policies, fees and
expenses are and shall at all times remain in compliance with the laws of the
State of New York and the Fund and the Underwriter represent that their
respective operations are and shall at all times remain in material compliance
with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to the extent required to
perform this Agreement.
2.7. The Underwriter represents and warrants that it is a member in
good standing of the NASD and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. The
Underwriter further represents that it will sell and distribute the Fund shares
in accordance with the laws of the State of Massachusetts and all applicable
state and federal securities laws, including without limitation the 1933 Act,
the 1934 Act, and the 1940 Act.
2.8. The Fund represents that it is lawfully organized and validly
existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that it does
and will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act.
5
<PAGE>
2.9. The Underwriter represents and warrants that the Adviser is and
shall remain duly registered in all material respects under all applicable
federal and state securities laws and that the Adviser shall perform its
obligations for the Fund in compliance in all material respects with the laws of
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and any applicable state and federal
securities laws.
2.10. The Fund and Underwriter represent and warrant that all of their
directors, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other
individuals/entities dealing with the money and/or securities of the Fund are
and shall continue to be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or
similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than the
minimal coverage as required currently by Rule 17g-(1) of the 1940 Act or
related provisions as may be promulgated from time to time. The aforesaid Bond
shall include coverage for larceny and embezzlement and shall be issued by a
reputable bonding company.
2.11. The Company represents and warrants that all of its directors,
officers, employees, investment advisers, and other individuals/entities dealing
with the money and/or securities of the Fund are covered by a blanket fidelity
bond or similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund, and that said bond is
issued by a reputable bonding company, includes coverage for larceny and
embezzlement, and is in an amount not less than $5 million. The Company agrees
to make all reasonable efforts to see that this bond or another bond containing
these provisions is always in effect, and agrees to notify the Fund and the
Underwriter in the event that such coverage no longer applies.
ARTICLE III. Prospectuses and Proxy Statements; Voting
-----------------------------------------
3.1. The Underwriter shall provide the Company with as many printed
copies of the Fund's current prospectus and Statement of Additional Information
as the Company may reasonably request. If requested by the Company in lieu
thereof, the Fund shall provide camera-ready film contaaining the Fund's
prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, and such other assistance as
is reasonably necessary in order for the Company once each year (or more
frequently if the prospectus and/or Statement of Additional Information for the
Fund is amended during the year) to have the prospectus for the Contracts and
the Fund's prospectus printed together in one document, and to have the
Statement of Additional Information for the Fund and the Statement of Additional
Information for the Contracts printed together in one document. Alternatively,
the Company may print the Fund's prospectus and/or its Statement of Additional
Information in combination with other fund companies' prospectuses and
statements of additional information. Except as provided in the following three
sentences, all expenses of printing and distributing Fund prospectuses and
Statements of Additional Information shall be the expense of the Company. For
prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information provided by the Company to
its existing owners of Contracts in order to update disclosure as required by
the 1933 Act and/or the 1940 Act, the cost of printing shall be borne by the
Fund. If the Company chooses to receive camera-ready film in lieu of receiving
printed copies of the Fund's prospectus, the Fund will reimburse the Company in
an amount equal to the product of A and B where A is the number of such
prospectuses distributed to owners of the Contracts, and B is the Fund's per
unit cost of
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typesetting and printing the Fund's prospectus. The same procedures shall be
followed with respect to the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
The Company agrees to provide the Fund or its designee with such
information as may be reasonably requested by the Fund to assure that the Fund's
expenses do not include the cost of printing any prospectuses or Statements of
Additional Information other than those actually distributed to existing owners
of the Contracts.
3.2. The Fund's prospectus shall state that the Statement of
Additional Information for the Fund is available from the Underwriter or the
Company (or in the Fund's discretion, the Prospectus shall state that such
Statement is available from the Fund).
3.3. The Fund, at its expense, shall provide the Company with copies
of its proxy statements, reports to shareholders, and other communications
(except for prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information, which are
covered in Section 3.1) to shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall
reasonably require for distributing to Contract owners.
3.4. If and to the extent required by law the Company shall:
(i) solicit voting instructions from Contract owners;
(ii) vote the Fund shares in accordance with instructions
received from Contract owners; and
(iii) vote Fund shares for which no instructions have been
received in a particular separate account in the same
proportion as Fund shares of such portfolio for which
instructions have been received in that separate account,
so long as and to the extent that the Securities and Exchange Commission
continues to interpret the 1940 Act to require pass-through voting privileges
for variable contract owners. The Company reserves the right to vote Fund
shares held in any segregated asset account in its own right, to the extent
permitted by law. Participating Insurance Companies shall be responsible for
assuring that each of their separate accounts participating in the Fund
calculates voting privileges in a manner consistent with the standards set
forth on Schedule B attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference,
which standards will also be provided to the other Participating Insurance
Companies.
3.5. The Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act
requiring voting by shareholders, and in particular the Fund will either provide
for annual meetings or comply with Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act (although the
Fund is not one of the trusts described in Section 16(c) of that Act) as well as
with Sections 16(a) and, if and when applicable, 16(b). Further, the Fund will
act in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission's interpretation
of the requirements of Section 16(a) with respect to periodic elections of
trustees and with whatever rules the Commission may promulgate with respect
thereto.
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ARTICLE IV. Sales Material and Information
------------------------------
4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the
Fund or its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional
material in which the Fund or its investment adviser or the Underwriter is
named, at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall
be used if the Fund or its designee reasonably objects to such use within
fifteen Business Days after receipt of such material.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund in
connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the information or
representations contained in the registration statement or prospectus for the
Fund shares, as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Fund,
or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Fund or its
designee or by the Underwriter, except with the permission of the Fund or the
Underwriter or the designee of either.
4.3. The Fund, Underwriter, or its designee shall furnish, or shall
cause to be furnished, to the Company or its designee, each piece of sales
literature or other promotional material in which the Company and/or its
separate account(s), is named at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use.
No such material shall be used if the Company or its designee reasonably objects
to such use within fifteen Business Days after receipt of such material.
4.4. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not give any information or
make any representations on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company,
each Account, or the Contracts other than the information or representations
contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts, as such
registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time
to time, or in published reports for each Account which are in the public domain
or approved by the Company for distribution to Contract owners, or in sales
literature or other promotional material approved by the Company or its
designee, except with the permission of the Company.
4.5. The Fund will provide to the Company at least one complete copy
of all registration statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional
Information, reports, proxy statements, sales literature and other promotional
materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all
amendments to any of the above, that relate to the Fund or its shares,
contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the Securities and
Exchange Commission or other regulatory authorities.
4.6. The Company will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy
of all registration statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional
Information, reports, solicitations for voting instructions, sales literature
and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no
action letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that relate to the
Contracts or each Account, contemporaneously with the filing of such document
with the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
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<PAGE>
4.7. For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase "sales literature or
other promotional material" includes, but is not limited to, any of the
following that refer to the Fund or any affiliate of the Fund: advertisements
(such as material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper, magazine, or
other periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording, videotape
display, signs or billboards, motion pictures, or other public media), sales
literature (i.e., any written communication distributed or made generally
available to customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research
reports, market letters, form letters, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts of
any other advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or
training materials or other communications distributed or made generally
available to some or all agents or employees, and registration statements,
prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, shareholder reports, and
proxy materials.
ARTICLE V. Fees and Expenses
-----------------
5.1. The Fund and Underwriter shall pay no fee or other compensation
to the Company under this agreement, except that if the Fund or any Portfolio
adopts and implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 to finance distribution
expenses, then the Underwriter may make payments to the Company or to the
underwriter for the Contracts if and in amounts agreed to by the Underwriter in
writing and such payments will be made out of existing fees otherwise payable to
the Underwriter, past profits of the Underwriter or other resources available to
the Underwriter. No such payments shall be made directly by the Fund. Currently,
no such payments are contemplated.
5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the Fund under this
Agreement shall be paid by the Fund. The Fund shall see to it that all its
shares are registered and authorized for issuance in accordance with applicable
federal law and, if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund, in
accordance with applicable state laws prior to their sale. The Fund shall bear
the expenses for the cost of registration and qualification of the Fund's
shares, preparation and filing of the Fund's prospectus and registration
statement, proxy materials and reports, setting the prospectus in type, setting
in type and printing the proxy materials and reports to shareholders (including
the costs of printing a prospectus that constitutes an annual report), the
preparation of all statements and notices required by any federal or state law,
and all taxes on the issuance or transfer of the Fund's shares.
5.3. The Company shall bear the expenses of distributing the Fund's
prospectus, proxy materials and reports to owners of Contracts issued by the
Company.
ARTICLE VI. Diversification
---------------
6.1. The Fund will at all times invest money from the Contracts in
such a manner as to ensure that the Contracts will be treated as variable
contracts under the Code and the regulations issued thereunder. Without limiting
the scope of the foregoing, the Fund will at all times comply with Section
817(h) of the Code and Treasury Regulation 1.817-5, relating to the
9
<PAGE>
diversification requirements for variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance
contracts and any amendments or other modifications to such Section or
Regulations. In the event of a breach of this Article VI by the Fund, it will
take all reasonable steps (a) to notify Company of such breach and (b) to
adequately diversify the Fund so as to achieve compliance with the grace period
afforded by Regulation 1.817-5.
ARTICLE VII. Potential Conflicts
-------------------
7.1. The Board will monitor the Fund for the existence of any
material irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the contract owners of
all separate accounts investing in the Fund. An irreconcilable material conflict
may arise for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by any state
insurance regulatory authority; (b) a change in applicable federal or state
insurance, tax, or securities laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private
letter ruling, no-action or interpretative letter, or any similar action by
insurance, tax, or securities regulatory authorities; (c) an administrative or
judicial decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the manner in which the
investments of any Portfolio are being managed; (e) a difference in voting
instructions given by variable annuity contract and variable life insurance
contract owners; or (f) a decision by an insurer to disregard the voting
instructions of-contract owners. The Board shall promptly inform the Company if
it determines that an irreconcilable material conflict exists and the
implications thereof.
7.2. The Company will report any potential or existing conflicts of
which it is aware to the Board. The Company will assist the Board in carrying
out its responsibilities under the Shared Funding Exemptive Order, by providing
the Board with all information reasonably necessary for the Board to consider
any issues raised. This includes, but is not limited to, an obligation by the
Company to inform the Board whenever contract owner voting instructions are
disregarded.
7.3. If it is determined, by a majority of the Board, or a majority
of its disinterested trustees, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists,
the Company and other Participating Insurance Companies shall, at their expense
and to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined by a majority of the
disinterested trustees), take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or
eliminate the irreconcilable material conflict, up to and including: (1),
withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the separate accounts from
the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different investment
medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of the Fund, or
submitting the question whether such segregation should be implemented to a vote
of all affected Contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of
any appropriate group (i.e., annuity contract owners, life insurance contract
owners, or variable contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance
Companies) that votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected
contract owners the option of making such a change; and (2), establishing a new
registered management investment company or managed separate account.
7.4. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a
decision by the Company to disregard contract owner voting instructions and that
decision represents a minority position or
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<PAGE>
would preclude a majority vote, the Company may be required, at the Fund's
election, to withdraw the affected Account's investment in the Fund and
terminate this Agreement with respect to such Account; provided, however that
such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by the
foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board. Any such withdrawal and termination must
take place within six (6) months after the Fund gives written notice that this
provision is being implemented, and until the end of that six month period the
Underwriter and Fund shall continue to accept and implement orders by the
Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.5. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a
particular state insurance regulator's decision applicable to the Company
conflicts with the majority of other state regulators, then the Company will
withdraw the affected Account's investment in the Fund and terminate this
Agreement with respect to such Account within six months after the Board informs
the Company in writing that it has determined that such decision has created an
irreconcilable material conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal and
termination shall be limited to the extent required by the foregoing material
irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members
of the Board. Until the end of the foregoing six month period, the Underwriter
and Fund shall continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the
purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.6. For purposes of Sections 7.3 through 7.6 of this Agreement, a
majority of the disinterested members of the Board shall determine whether any
proposed action adequately remedies any irreconcilable material conflict, but in
no event will the Fund be required to establish a new funding medium for the
Contracts. The Company shall not be required by Section 7.3 to establish a new
funding medium for the Contracts if an offer to do so has been declined by vote
of a majority of Contract owners materially adversely affected by the
irreconcilable material conflict. In the event that the Board determines that
any proposed action does not adequately remedy any irreconcilable material
conflict, then the Company will withdraw the Account's investment in the Fund
and terminate this Agreement within six (6) months after the Board informs the
Company in writing of the foregoing determination, provided, however, that such.
withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by any such
material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board.
7.7. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended,
or Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the
Act or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding
(as defined in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions
materially different from those contained in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order,
then (a) the Fund and/or the Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate,
shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply with Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3(T),
as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent such rules are applicable;
and (b) Sections 3.4, 3.5, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 of this Agreement shall
continue in effect only to the extent that terms and conditions substantially
identical to such Sections are contained in such Rule(s) as so amended or
adopted.
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<PAGE>
ARTICLE VIII. Indemnification
---------------
8.1. Indemnification By The Company
------------------------------
18.1(a). The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund
and each trustee of the Board and officers and each person, if any, who controls
the Fund within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.1) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Company) or litigation (including legal and other
expenses), to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any
statute, regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements
are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund's shares or the Contracts
and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or
alleged untrue statements of any material fact contained in the
Registration Statement or prospectus for the Contracts or contained in
the Contracts or sales literature for the Contracts (or any amendment
or supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based
upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify
shall not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or
omission or such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance
upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by or
on behalf of the Fund for use in the Registration Statement or
prospectus for the Contracts or in the Contracts or sales literature
(or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection
with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or
representations (other than statements or representations contained in
the Registration Statement, prospectus or sales literature of the Fund
not supplied by the Company, or persons under its control) or wrongful
conduct of the Company or persons under its control, with respect to
the sale or distribution of the Contracts or Fund Shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement,
prospectus, or sales literature of the Fund or any amendment thereof
or supplement thereto or the omission or alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading if such a statement or
omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Fund
by or on behalf of the Company; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Company to
provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement; or
12
<PAGE>
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Company in this Agreement
or arise out of or result from any other material breach of this
Agreement by the Company, as limited by and in accordance with the
provisions of Sections 8.1(b) and 8.1(c) hereof.
8.1(b). The Company shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or litigation incurred or assessed against an Indemnified
Party as such may arise from such Indemnified Party's willful
misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of such
Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's
reckless disregard of obligations or duties under this Agreement or to
the Fund, whichever is applicable.
8.1(c). The Company shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an
Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified
the Company in writing within a reasonable time after the summons or
other first legal process giving information of the nature of the
claim shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after
such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on
any designated agent), but failure to notify the Company of any such
claim shall not relieve the Company from any liability which it may
have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought
otherwise than on account of this indemnification provision. In case
any such action is brought against the Indemnified Parties, the
Company shall be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the
defense of such action. The Company also shall be entitled to assume
the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in
the action. After notice from the Company to such party of the
Company's election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified
Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel
retained by it, and the Company will not be liable to such party under
this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred
by such party independently in connection with the defense thereof
other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.1(d). The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify the Company
of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in
connection with the issuance or sale of the Fund Shares or the
Contracts or the operation of the Fund.
8.2. Indemnification by the Underwriter
----------------------------------
8.2(a). The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Company and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who
controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
(collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.2)
against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid
in settlement with the written consent of the Underwriter) or litigation
(including legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become
subject under any statute, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect
13
<PAGE>
thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund's
shares or the Contracts and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in
the Registration Statement or prospectus or sales
literature of the Fund (or any amendment or supplement to
any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon
the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading, provided that
this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any
Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such
alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and
in conformity with information furnished to the Underwriter
or Fund by or on behalf of the Company for use in the
Registration Statement or prospectus for the Fund or in
sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or
otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the
Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or
representations (other than statements or representations
contained in the Registration Statement, prospectus or
sales literature for the Contracts not supplied by the
Underwriter or persons under its control) or wrongful
conduct of the Fund, Adviser or Underwriter or persons
under their control, with respect to the sale or
distribution of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in a Registration
Statement, prospectus, or sales literature covering the
Contracts, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto,
or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statement or statements therein not misleading, if
such statement or omission was made in reliance upon
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the
Fund; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional or in
good faith or otherwise, to comply with the diversification
requirements specified in Article VI of this Agreement); or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Underwriter in
this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other
material breach of this Agreement by the Underwriter; as
limited by and in accordance with the provisions of
Sections 8.2(b) and 8.2(c) hereof.
8.2(b). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this
indemni-fication provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or litigation to which an Indemnified Party would
14
<PAGE>
otherwise be subject by reason of such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance,
bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's
duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of
obligations and duties under this Agreement or to each Company or the Account,
whichever is applicable.
8.2(c). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified
Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Underwriter in
writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process
giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Underwriter of
any such claim shall not relieve the Underwriter from any liability which it may
have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than
on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought
against the Indemnified Parties, the Underwriter will be entitled to
participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Underwriter also
shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to
the party named in the action. After notice from the Underwriter to such party
of the Underwriter's election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified
Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by
it, and the Underwriter will not be liable to such party under this Agreement
for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such party
independently in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs
of investigation.
8.2(d). The Company agrees promptly to notify the Underwriter of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings, against it or any of its officers
or directors in connection with the issuance or sale of the Contracts or the
operation of each Account.
8.3. Indemnification By the Fund
---------------------------
8.3(a). The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company,
and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the
Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.3) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Fund) or litigation (including legal and other
expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute,
at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities
or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements result from the gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of the Board or any member thereof,
are related to the operations of the Fund and:
(i) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement (including a failure to comply with the diversification
requirements specified in Article VI of this Agreement); or
15
<PAGE>
(ii) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Fund in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material
breach of this Agreement by the Fund;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.3(b) and
8.3(c) hereof.
8.3(b). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation
incurred or assessed against an Indemnified Party as such may arise from such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the
performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified
Party's reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to
the Company, the Fund, the Underwriter or each Account, whichever is applicable.
8.3(c). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless
such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Fund in writing within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Fund of any
such claim shall not relieve the Fund from any liability which it may have to
the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on
account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought
against the Indemnified Parties, the Fund will be entitled to participate, at
its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Fund also shall be entitled to
assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the
action. After notice from the Fund to such party of the Fund's election to
assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and
expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the Fund will not be
liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense
thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.3(d). The Company and the Underwriter agree promptly to notify the
Fund of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of
its respective officers or directors in connection with this Agreement, the
issuance or sale of the Contracts, with respect to the operation of either
Account, or the sale or acquisition of shares of the Fund.
ARTICLE IX. Applicable Law
--------------
9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933,
1934 and 1940 acts, and the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder,
including such exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the
Securities and Exchange Commission may grant (including, but not limited to, the
Shared Funding Exemptive Order) and the terms hereof shall be interpreted and
construed in accordance therewith.
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<PAGE>
ARTICLE X. Termination
-----------
10.1. This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until
the first to occur of:
(a) termination by any party for any reason by sixty (60) days'
advance written notice delivered to the other parties; or
(b) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio based upon the Company's
determination that shares of such Portfolio are not reasonably
available to meet the requirements of the Contracts; or
(c) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event any of the
Portfolio's shares are not registered, issued or sold in
accordance with applicable state and/or federal law or such law
precludes the use of such shares as the underlying investment
media of the Contracts issued or to be issued by the Company; or
(d) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event that such
Portfolio ceases to qualify as a Regulated Investment Company
under Subchapter M of the Code or under any successor or similar
provision, or if the Company reasonably believes that the Fund may
fail to so qualify; or
(e) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event that such
Portfolio fails to meet the diversification requirements specified
in Article VI hereof, or
(f) termination by either the Fund or the Underwriter by written
notice to the Company, if either one or both of the Fund or the
Underwriter respectively, shall determine, in their sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that the Company and/or its affiliated
companies has suffered a material adverse change in its business,
operations, financial condition or prospects since the date of
this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse publicity; or
(g) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter, if the Company shall determine, in its sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that either the Fund or the Underwriter
has suffered a material adverse change in its business,
operations, financial condition or prospects since the date of
this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse publicity; or
17
<PAGE>
(h) termination by the Fund or the Underwriter by written notice to
the Company, if the Company gives the Fund and the Underwriter the
written notice specified in Section 1.6(b) hereof and at the time
such notice was given there was no notice of termination
outstanding under any other provision of this Agreement; provided,
however any termination under this Section 10.1(h) shall be
effective forty five (45) days after the notice specified in
Section 1.6(b) was given.
10.2. Effect of Termination. Notwithstanding any termination of this
Agreement, the Fund and the Underwriter shall at the option of the Company,
continue to make available additional shares of the Fund pursuant to the terms
and conditions of this Agreement, for all Contracts in effect on the effective
date of termination of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "Existing
Contracts"). Specifically, without limitation, the owners of the Existing
Contracts shall be permitted to reallocate investments in the Fund, redeem
investments in the Fund and/or invest in the Fund upon the making of additional
purchase payments under the Existing Contracts. The parties agree that this
Section 10.2 shall not apply to any terminations under Article VII and the
effect of such Article VII terminations shall be governed by Article VII of this
Agreement.
10.3. The Company shall not redeem Fund shares attributable to the
Contracts (as opposed to Fund shares attributable to the Company's assets held
in the Account) except (i) as necessary to implement Contract Owner initiated or
approved transactions, or (ii) as required by state and/or federal laws or
regulations or judicial or other legal precedent of general application
(hereinafter referred to as a "Legally Required Redemption") or (iii) as
permitted by an order of the SEC pursuant to Section 26(b) of the 1940 Act. Upon
request, the Company will promptly furnish to the Fund and the Underwriter the
opinion of counsel for the Company (which counsel shall be reasonably
satisfactory to the Fund and the Underwriter) to the effect that any redemption
pursuant to clause (ii) above is a Legally Required Redemption. Furthermore,
except in cases where permitted under the terms of the Contracts, the Company
shall not prevent Contract Owners from allocating payments to a Portfolio that
was otherwise available under the Contracts without first giving the Fund or the
Underwriter 90 days notice of its intention to do so.
ARTICLE XI. Notices
-------
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or
certified mail to the other party at the address of such party set forth below
or at such other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing
to the other party.
If to the Fund:
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Attention: Treasurer
If to the Company:
Providian Corporation
400 West Market Street
18
<PAGE>
P.O. Box 32830
Louisville, KY 40232
Attention: Jeffrey P. Lammers
with a copy to:
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
520 Columbia Drive
Johnson City, NY 13790
Attention: Marketing Director
If to the Underwriter:
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Attention: Treasurer
ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous
-------------
12.1. All persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the
property of the Fund for the enforcement of any claims against the Fund as
neither the Board, officers, agents or shareholders assume any personal
Liability for obligations entered into on behalf of the Fund.
12.2. Subject to the requirements of legal process and regulatory
authority, each party hereto shall treat as confidential the names and addresses
of the owners of the Contracts and all information reasonably identified as
confidential in writing by any other party hereto and, except as permitted by
this Agreement shall not disclose, disseminate or utilize such names and
addresses and other confidential information until such time as it may come into
the public domain without the express written consent of the affected party.
12.3. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or
otherwise affect their construction or effect.
12.4. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more
counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
12.5. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid
by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement
shall not be affected thereby.
12.6. Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party and all
appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation the SEC, the
NASD and state insurance regulators) and shall permit such authorities
reasonable access to its books and records in connection with any investigation
or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, each party hereto further.
19
<PAGE>
agrees to furnish the California Insurance Commissioner with any information or
reports in connection with services provided under this Agreement which such
Commissioner may request in order to ascertain whether the insurance operations
of the Company are being conducted in a manner consistent with the California
Insurance Regulations and any other applicable law or regulations.
12.7. The tights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement
are cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and
obligations, at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to under
state and federal laws.
12.8. This Agreement or any of the rights and obligations hereunder
may not be assigned by any party without the prior written consent of all
parties hereto; provided, however, that the Underwriter may assign this
Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder to any affiliate of or company
under common control with the Underwriter, if such assignee is duly licensed and
registered to perform the obligations of the Underwriter under this Agreement.
12.9. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to
the Fund or its designee copies of the following reports:
(a) the Company's annual statement (prepared under statutory
accounting principles) and annual report (prepared under
generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), if any),
as soon as practical and in any event within 90 days after
the end of each fiscal year;
(b) the Company's quarterly statements (statutory) (and GAAP, if
any), as soon as practical and in any event within 45 days
after the end of each quarterly period: (c) any financial
statement, proxy statement notice or report of the Company
sent to stockholders and/or policyholders, as soon as
practical after the delivery thereof to stockholders;
(d) any registration statement (without exhibits) and financial
reports of the Company filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission or any state insurance regulator, as
soon as practical after the filing thereof,
(e) any other report submitted to the Company by independent
accountants in connection with any annual, interim or
special audit made by them of the books of the Company, as
soon as practical after the receipt thereof.
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
representative and its seal to be hereunder affixed hereto as of the date
specified below.
20
<PAGE>
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
By: /s/ Jeffrey P. Lammers
------------------------
Name: Jeffrey P. Lammers
--------------------
Title: Senior Vice President
-----------------------
VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND
By: /s/ J. Gary Burkhead
----------------------
J. Gary Burkhead
Senior Vice President
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
By: /s/ Neal Litvack
------------------
Neal Litvack
President
21
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Schedule A
----------
Separate Accounts and Associated Contracts
------------------------------------------
Name of Separate Account and Policy Form Numbers of Contracts Funded
Date Established by Board of Directors By Separate Account
- - -------------------------------------- ------------------
<S> <C>
First Providian Life and Health Insurance NA104A-NYC (7/95)
Company Separate Account C
(November 4, 1994)
</TABLE>
22
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE B
PROXY VOTING PROCEDURE
The following is a list of procedures and corresponding responsibilities for
the handling of proxies relating to the Fund by the Underwriter, the Fund and
the Company. The defined terms herein shall have the meanings assigned in the
Participation Agreement except that the term "Company" shall also include the
department or third party assigned by the Insurance Company to perform the
steps delineated below.
1. The number of proxy proposals is given to the Company by the Underwriter as
early as possible before the date set by the Fund for the shareholder
meeting to facilitate the establishment of tabulation procedures. At this
time the Underwriter will inform the Company of the Record, Mailing and
Meeting dates. This will be done verbally approximately two months before
meeting.
2. Promptly after the Record Date, the Company will perform a "tape run", or
other activity, which will generate the names, addresses and number of units
which are attributed to each contractowner/policyholder (the '"Customer"")
as of the Record Date. Allowance should be made for account adjustments
made after this date that could affect the status of the Customers' accounts
as of the Record Date.
Note: The number of proxy statements is determined by the activities
described in Step #2. The Company will use its best efforts to -call in the
number of Customers to Fidelity, as soon as possible, but no later than two
weeks after the Record Date.
3. The Fund's Annual Report no longer needs to be sent to each Customer by the
Company either before or to-ether with the Customers' receipt of a proxy
statement. Underwriter will provide the last Annual Report to the Company
pursuant to the terms of Section 3.3 of the Agreement to which this Schedule
relates.
4. The text and format for the Voting Instruction Cards ("Cards" or "Card") is
provided to the Company by the Fund. The Company, at its expense, shall
produce and personalize the Voting Instruction Cards. The Legal Department
of the Underwriter or its affiliate ("Fidelity Legal") must approve the Card
before it is printed. Allow approximately 2-4 business days for printing
information on the Cards. Information commonly found on the Cards includes:
a. name (legal name as found on account registration)
b. address
c. Fund or account number
d. coding - to state number of units
e. individual Card number for use in tracking and verification of votes
(already on Cards as printed by the Fund)
(This and related steps may occur later in the chronological process due to
possible uncertainties relating to the proposals.)
23
<PAGE>
5. During this time, Fidelity Legal will develop, produce, and the Fund will
pay for the Notice of Proxy and the Proxy Statement (one document).
Printed and folded notices and statements will be sent to Company for
insertion into envelopes (envelopes and return envelopes are provided and
paid for by the Insurance Company). -Contents of envelope sent to Customers
by Company will include:
a. Voting Instruction Card(s)
b. One proxy notice and statement (one document)
c. return envelope (postage pre-paid by Company) addressed to the
Company or its tabulation agent
d. "urge buckslip" - optional, but recommended. (This is a small,
single sheet of paper that requests Customers to vote as quickly as
possible and that their vote is important. One copy will be
supplied by the Fund.)
e. cover letter - optional, supplied by Company and reviewed and
approved in advance by Fidelity Legal.
6. The above contents should be received by the Company approximately 3-5
business days before mail date. Individual in charge at Company reviews
and approves the contents of the mailing package to ensure correctness and
completeness. Copy of this approval sent to Fidelity Legal.
7. Package mailed by the Company.
* The Fund must allow at least a 15-day solicitation time to the Company
as the shareowner. (A 5-week period is recommended.) Solicitation time
is calculated as calendar days from (but not including) the meeting,
counting backwards.
8. Collection and tabulation of Cards begins. Tabulation usually takes place
in another department or another vendor depending on process used. An
often used procedure is to sort Cards on arrival by proposal into vote
categories of all yes, no, or mixed replies, and to begin data entry.
Note: Postmarks are not generally needed. A need for postmark information
would be due to an insurance company's internal procedure and has not been
required by Fidelity in the past.
9. Signatures on Card checked against legal name on account registration which
was printed on the Card.
Note: For Example, If the account registration is under "Bertram C. Jones,
Trustee," then that is the exact legal name to be printed on the Card and
is the signature needed on the Card.
24
<PAGE>
10. If Cards are mutilated, or for any reason are illegible or are not signed
properly, they are sent back to Customer with an explanatory letter, a new
Card and return envelope. The mutilated or illegible Card is disregarded
and considered to be not received for purposes of vote tabulation. Any
Cards that have "kicked out" (e.g. mutilated, illegible) of the procedure
are "hand verified," i.e., examined as to why they did not complete the
system. Any questions on those Cards are usually remedied individually.
11. There are various control procedures used to ensure proper tabulation of
votes and accuracy of that tabulation. The most prevalent is to sort the
Cards as they first arrive into categories depending upon their vote; an
estimate of how the vote is progressing may then be calculated. If the
initial estimates and the actual vote do not coincide, then an internal
audit of that vote should occur. This may entail a recount.
12. The actual tabulation of votes is done in units which is then converted to
shares. (It is very important that the Fund receives the tabulations stated
in terms of a percentage and the number of shares.) Fidelity Legal must
review and approve tabulation format.
13. Final tabulation in shares is verbally given by the Company to Fidelity
Legal on the morning of the meeting not later than 10:00 a.m. Boston time.
Fidelity Legal may request an earlier deadline if required to calculate the
vote in time for the meeting.
14. A Certification of Mailing and Authorization to Vote Shares will be
required from the Company as well as an original copy of the final vote.
Fidelity Legal will provide a standard form for each Certification.
15. The Company will be required to box and archive the Cards received from the
Customers. In the event that any vote is challenged or if otherwise
necessary for legal, regulatory, or accounting purposes, Fidelity Legal
will be permitted reasonable access to such Cards.
16. All approvals and "signing-off" may be done orally, but must always be
followed up in writing.
25
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE C
Other investment companies currently available under variable annuities or
variable life insurance issued by the Company:
Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund
T. Rowe Price Equity Series, Inc.
T. Rowe Price International Series, Inc.
Quest For Value Accumulation Trust
26
<PAGE>
Exhibit 8(b)
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
-----------------------
Among
VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND II,
-----------------------------------
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
---------------------------------
and
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
-------------------------------------------------
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as of the 15th day of November,
1996 by and among FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY,
(hereinafter the "Company"), a New York corporation, on its own behalf and on
behalf of each segregated asset account of the Company set forth on Schedule A
hereto as may be amended from time to time (each such account hereinafter
referred to as the "Account"), and the VARIABLE, INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND II, an
unincorporated business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts (hereinafter the "Fund") and FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
(hereinafter the "Underwriter"), a Massachusetts corporation.
WHEREAS, the Fund engages in business as an open-end management
investment company and is available to act as the investment vehicle for
separate accounts established for variable life insurance policies and variable
annuity contracts (collectively, the "Variable Insurance Products") to be
offered by insurance companies which have entered into participation agreements
with the Fund and the Underwriter (hereinafter "Participating Insurance
Companies"); and
WHEREAS, the beneficial interest in the Fund is divided into several
series of shares, each representing the interest in a particular managed
portfolio of securities and other assets, any one or more of which may be made
available under this Agreement, as may be amended from time to time by mutual
agreement of the parties hereto (each such series hereinafter referred to as a
"Portfolio"); and
WHEREAS, the Fund has obtained an order from the Securities and
Exchange Commission, dated September 17, 1986 (File No. 812-6422), granting
Participating Insurance Companies and variable annuity and variable life
insurance separate accounts exemptions from the provisions. of sections 9(a),
13(a), 15(a), and 15(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
(hereinafter the "1940 Act") and Rules 6e-2(b) (15) and 6e-3 (T) (b) (15)
thereunder, to the extent necessary to permit shares of the Fund to be sold to
and held by variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of
both affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies (hereinafter the
"Shared Funding Exemptive Order"); and
1
<PAGE>
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the 1940 Act and its shares are registered under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (hereinafter the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, Fidelity Management & Research Company (the "Adviser") is duly
registered as an investment adviser under the federal Investment Advisers Act of
1940 and any applicable state securities law; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register certain variable life
insurance and variable annuity contracts under the 1933 Act; and
WHEREAS, each Account is a duly organized, validly existing segregated
asset account, established by resolution of the Board of Directors of the
Company, on the date shown for such Account on Schedule A hereto, to set aside
and invest assets attributable to the aforesaid variable annuity contracts; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register each Account as a
unit investment trust under the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Underwriter is registered as a broker dealer with the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, (hereinafter the "1934 Act"), and is a member in good standing
of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (hereinafter "NASD");
and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and
regulations, the Company intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios on behalf
of each Account to fund certain of the aforesaid variable life and variable
annuity contracts and the Underwriter is authorized to sell such shares to unit
investment trusts such as each Account at net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Company, the
Fund and the Underwriter agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. Sale of Fund Shares
-------------------
1.1. The Underwriter agrees to sell to the Company those shares of the Fund
which each Account orders, executing such orders on a daily basis at the net
asset value next computed after receipt by the Fund or its designee of the order
for the shares of the Fund. For purposes of this Section 1.1, the Company shall
be the designee of the Fund for receipt of such orders from each Account and
receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund; provided that the
Fund receives notice of such order by 12:00 noon Boston time on the next
following Business Day. "Business Day" shall mean any day on which the New York
Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which the Fund calculates its net
asset value pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
2
<PAGE>
1.2. The Fund agrees to make its shares available indefinitely for purchase
at the applicable net asset value per share by the Company and its Accounts on
those days on which the Fund calculates its net asset value pursuant to rules of
the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Fund shall use reasonable efforts
to calculate such net asset value on each day which the New York Stock Exchange
is open for trading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Trustees of
the Fund (hereinafter the "Board") may refuse to sell shares of any Portfolio to
any person, or suspend or terminate the offering of shares of any Portfolio if
such action is required by law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction
or is, in the sole discretion of the Board acting in good faith and in light of
their fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws, necessary in
the best interests of the shareholders of such Portfolio.
1.3. The Fund and the Underwriter agree that shares of the Fund will be
sold only to Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts. No
shares of any Portfolio will be sold to the general public.
1.4. The Fund and the Underwriter will not sell Fund shares to any
insurance company or separate account unless an agreement containing provisions
substantially the same as Articles I, III, V, VII and Section 2.5 of Article II
of this Agreement is in effect to govern such sales.
1.5. The Fund agrees to redeem for cash, on the Company's request, any full
or fractional shares of the Fund held by the Company, executing such requests on
a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by the Fund or
its designee of the request for redemption. For purposes of this Section 1.5,
the Company shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of requests for
redemption from each Account and receipt by such designee shall constitute
receipt by the Fund; provided that the Fund receives notice of such request for
redemption on the next following Business Day.
1.6. The Company agrees that purchases and redemptions of Portfolio shares
offered by the then current prospectus of the Fund shall be made in accordance
with the provisions of such prospectus. The Company agrees that all net amounts
available under the variable annuity contracts with the form number(s) which are
listed on Schedule A attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference,
as such Schedule A may be amended from time to time hereafter by mutual written
agreement of all the parties hereto, (the "Contracts") shall be invested in the
Fund, in such other Funds advised by the Adviser as may be mutually agreed to
in writing by the parties hereto, or in the Company's general account, provided
that such amounts may also be invested in an investment company other than the
Fund if (a) such other investment company, or series thereof, has investment
objectives or policies that are substantially different from the investment
objectives and policies of all the Portfolios of the Fund; or (b) the Company
gives the Fund and the Underwriter 45 days written notice of its intention to
make such other investment company available as a funding vehicle for the
Contracts; or (c) such other investment company was available as a funding
vehicle for the Contracts prior to the date of this Agreement and the Company so
informs the Fund and Underwriter prior to their signing this Agreement (a
3
<PAGE>
list of such funds appearing on Schedule C to this Agreement); or (d) the Fund
or Underwriter consents to the use of such other investment company.
1.7. The Company shall pay for Fund shares on the next Business Day after
an order to purchase Fund shares is made in accordance with the provisions of
Section 1.1 hereof. Payment shall be in federal funds transmitted by wire. For
purpose of Section 2.10 and 2.11, upon receipt by the Fund of the federal funds
so wired, such funds shall cease to be the responsibility of the Company and
shall become the responsibility of the Fund.
1.8. Issuance and transfer of the Fund's shares will be by book entry
only. Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or any Account.
Shares ordered from the Fund will be recorded in an appropriate title for each
Account or the appropriate subaccount of each Account.
1.9. The Fund shall furnish same day notice (by wire or telephone,
followed by written confirmation) to the Company of any income, dividends or
capital gain distributions payable on the Fund's shares. The Company hereby
elects to receive all such income dividends and capital gain distributions as
are payable on the Portfolio shares in additional shares of that Portfolio. The
Company reserves the right to revoke this election and to receive all such
income dividends and capital gain distributions in cash. The Fund shall notify
the Company of the number of shares so issued as payment of such dividends and
distributions.
1.10. The Fund shall make the net asset value per share for each Portfolio
available to the Company on a daily basis as soon as reasonably practical after
the net asset value per share is calculated (normally by 6:30 p.m. Boston time)
and shall use its best efforts to make such net asset value per share available
by 7 p.m. Boston time.
ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties
2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts are or will be
registered under the 1933 Act, that the Contracts will be issued and sold in
compliance in all material respects with all applicable Federal and State laws
and that the sale of the Contracts shall comply in all material respects with
state insurance suitability requirements. The Company further represents and
warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in good standing
under applicable law and that it has legally and validly established each
Account prior to any issuance or sale thereof as a segregated asset account
under Section 4240 of the New York Insurance Laws and has registered or, prior
to any issuance or sale of the Contracts, will register each Account as a unit
investment trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as a
segregated investment account for the Contracts.
2.2. The Fund represents and warrants that Fund shares sold pursuant to
this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, duly authorized for
issuance and sold in compliance with the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and all applicable federal and state securities laws and t hat the
Fund is and shall remain registered under the 1940 Act. The
4
<PAGE>
Fund shall amend the Registration Statement for its shares under the 1933 Act
and the 1940 Act from time to time as required in order to effect the continuous
offering of its shares. The Fund shall register and qualify the shares for sale
in accordance with the laws of the various states only if and to the extent
deemed advisable by the Fund or the Underwriter.
2.3. The Fund represents that it is currently qualified as a Regulated
Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, (the "Code") and that it will make every effort to maintain such
qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar provision) and
that it will notify the Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis for
believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it might not so qualify-in-
the future.
2.4. The Company represents that the Contracts are currently treated as
endowment or annuity insurance contracts, under applicable provisions of the
Code and that it will make every effort to maintain such treatment and that it
will notify the Fund and the Underwriter immediately upon having a reasonable
basis for believing that the Contracts have ceased to be so treated or. that
they might not be so treated in the future.
2.5. The Fund currently does not intend to make any payments to finance
distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act or otherwise,
although it may make such payments in the future. The Fund has adopted a "no
fee" or "defensive" Rule 12b-1. Plan under which it makes no payments for
distribution expenses. To the extent that it decides to finance distribution
expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1, the Fund undertakes to have a board of
trustees, a majority of whom are not interested persons of the Fund, formulate
and approve any plan under Rule 12b-1 to. finance distribution expenses.
2.6. The Fund makes no representation as to whether any aspect of its
operations (including but not limited to, fees and expenses and investment
policies) complies with the insurance laws or regulations of the various states
except that the Fund represents that the Fund's investment policies, fees and
expenses are and shall at all times remain in compliance with the laws of the
State of New York and the Fund and the Underwriter represent that their
respective operations are and shall at all times remain in material compliance
with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to the extent required to
perform this Agreement.
2.7. The Underwriter represents and warrants that it is a member in good
standing of the NASD and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. The
Underwriter further represents that it will sell and distribute the Fund shares
in accordance with the laws of the State of Massachusetts and all applicable
state and federal securities laws, including without limitation the 1933 Act,
the 1934 Act, and the 1940 Act.
2.8. The Fund represents that it is lawfully organized and validly
existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that it does
and will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act.
5
<PAGE>
2.9. The Underwriter represents and warrants that the Adviser is and shall
remain duly registered in all material respects under all applicable federal and
state securities laws and that the Adviser shall perform its obligations for the
Fund in compliance in all material respects with the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and any applicable state and federal securities laws.
2.10. The Fund and Underwriter represent and warrant that all of their
directors, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other
individuals/entities dealing with the money and/or securities of the Fund are
and shall continue to be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or
similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than the
minimal coverage as required currently by Rule 17g-(1) of the 1940 Act or
related provisions as may be promulgated from time to time. The aforesaid Bond
shall include coverage for larceny and embezzlement and shall be. issued by a
reputable bonding company.
2.11. The Company represents and warrants that all of its directors,
officers employees, investment advisers, and other individuals/entities dealing
with the money and/or. securities of the Fund are: covered by a blanket fidelity
bond or similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund, and that said bond is
issued by a reputable bonding company, includes coverage for larceny and
embezzlement and is in an amount not less than $5 million. The Company agrees to
make all reasonable efforts to see that this bond or another bond containing
these provisions is always in effect, and, agrees to notify the Fund and the
Underwriter in the event that such coverage no longer applies.
ARTICLE III. Prospectuses and Proxy Statements: Voting:
3.1. The Underwriter shall provide the Company with as many printed copies
of the Fund's current prospectus and Statement of Additional Information as the
Company may reasonably request. If requested by the Company in lieu thereof, the
Fund shall provide camera-ready film containing the Fund's prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information, and such other assistance as is reasonably
necessary in order for the Company once each year (or more frequently if the
prospectus and/or Statement of Additional Information for the Fund is amended
during the year) to have the prospectus for the Contracts and the Fund's
prospectus printed together in one document, and to have the Statement of
Additional Information for the Fund and the Statement of Additional Information
for the Contracts printed together in one document. Alternatively, the Company
may print the Fund's prospectus and/or its Statement of Additional Information
in combination with other fund companies' prospectuses and statements of
additional information. Except as provided in the following three sentences, all
expenses of printing and distributing Fund prospectuses and Statements of
Additional Information shall be the expense of the Company. For prospectuses and
Statements of Additional Information provided by the Company to its existing
owners of Contracts in order to update disclosure as required by the 1933 Act
and/or the 1940 Act, the cost of printing shall be borne by the Fund. If the
Company chooses to receive camera-ready film in lieu of receiving printed copies
of the Fund's prospectus, the Fund will reimburse the Company in an amount equal
to the product of A and B where A is the number of such prospectuses distributed
to owners of the Contracts, and B is the Fund's per unit cost of
6
<PAGE>
typesetting and printing the Fund's prospectus. The same procedures shall be
followed with respect to the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
The Company agrees to. provide the Fund or its designee with such
information as may be reasonably requested by the Fund to assure that the Fund's
expenses do not include the cost of printing any prospectuses or Statements of
Additional Information other than those actually distributed to existing owners
of the Contracts.
3.2. The Fund's prospectus shall state that the Statement of Additional
Information for the Fund is available from the Underwriter. or the Company (or
in the Fund's discretion, the Prospectus shall state that such Statement is
available from the Fund).
3.3. The Fund, at its expense, shall provide the Company with copies of
its proxy statements, reports to shareholders, and other communications (except
for prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information, which are covered in
Section 3.1) to shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall reasonably
require for distributing to Contract owners.
3.4. If and to the extent required by law the Company shall:
(i) solicit voting instructions from Contract owners;
(ii) vote the Fund shares in accordance with instructions received
from Contract owners; and
(iii) vote Fund shares for which no instructions have been received
in a particular separate account in the same proportion as
Fund shares of such. portfolio for which instructions have
been received in that separate account,
so long as and to the extent that the Securities and Exchange Commission
continues to interpret the 1940 Act to require pass-through voting privileges
for variable contract owners. The Company reserves the right to vote Fund shares
held in any segregated asset account in its own right, to the extent permitted
by law. Participating Insurance Companies shall be responsible for assuring that
each of their separate accounts participating in the Fund calculates voting
privileges in a manner consistent with the standards set forth on Schedule B
attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, which standards will
also be provided to the other Participating Insurance Companies.
3.5. The Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act requiring
voting by shareholders, and in particular the Fund will either provide for
annual meetings or comply with Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act (although the Fund
is not one of the trusts described in Section 16(c) of that Act) as well as with
Sections 16(a) and, if and when applicable, 16(b). Further, the Fund will act in
accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission's interpretation of the
requirements of Section 16(a) with respect to periodic elections of trustees and
with whatever rules the Commission may promulgate with respect thereto.
7
<PAGE>
ARTICLE IV. Sales Material and Information
4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the
Fund or its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional
material in which the Fund or its investment adviser or the Underwriter is
named, at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall
be used if the Fund or its designee reasonably objects to such use within
fifteen Business Days after receipt of such material.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund in
connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the information or
representations contained in the registration statement or prospectus for the
Fund shares, as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Fund,
or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Fund or its
designee or by the Underwriter, except with the permission of the Fund or the
Underwriter or the designee of either.
4.3. The Fund, Underwriter, or its designee shall furnish, or shall cause
to be furnished, to the Company or its designee, each piece of sales literature
or other promotional material in which the Company and/or its separate
account(s), is named, at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such
material shall be used if the Company or its designee reasonably objects to such
use within fifteen Business Days after receipt of such material.
4.4. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not give any information or make
any representations on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company, each
Account, or the Contracts other than the information or representations
contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts, as such
registration statement and Prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time
to time, or in published reports for each Account which are in the public domain
or approved by the Company for distribution to Contract owners, or in sales
literature or other promotional material approved by the Company or its
designee, except with the permission of the Company.
4.5. The Fund will provide to the Company at least one complete copy of
all registration statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information,
reports, proxy statements, sales literature and other promotional materials,
applications for exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all amendments
to any of the above, that relate to the Fund or its shares, contemporaneously
with the filing of such document with the Securities and Exchange Commission or
other regulatory authorities.
4.6. The Company will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy of
all registration statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information,
reports, solicitations for voting instructions, sales literature and other
promotional materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no action
letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that relate to the Contracts or
each Account, contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the SEC or
other regulatory authorities.
8
<PAGE>
4.7. For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase "sales literature or
other promotional material" includes, but is not limited to, any of the
following that refer to the Fund or any affiliate of the Fund: advertisements
(such as material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper, magazine, or
other periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording, videotape
display, signs or billboards, motion pictures, or other public media), sales
literature (i.e., any written communication distributed or made generally
available to customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research
reports, market letters, form letters, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts of
any other advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or
training materials or other communications distributed or made generally
available to some or all agents or employees, and registration statements,
prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, shareholder reports, and
proxy materials.
ARTICLE V. Fees and Expenses
5.1. The Fund and Underwriter shall pay no fee or other compensation to
the Company under this agreement, except that if the Fund or any Portfolio
adopts and implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 to finance distribution
expenses, then the Underwriter may. make payments to the Company or to the
underwriter for the Contracts if and in amounts agreed to by the Underwriter in
writing and such payments will be made out of existing fees otherwise payable to
the Underwriter, past profits of the Underwriter or other resources available to
the Underwriter. No such payments shall be made directly by the Fund. Currently,
no such payments are contemplated.
5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the Fund under this Agreement
shall be paid by the Fund. The Fund shall see to it that all its shares ate
registered and authorized for issuance m accordance with applicable federal law
and, if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund, in accordance with
applicable state laws prior to their sale. The Fund shall bear the expenses for
the cost of registration and qualification of the Fund's shares, preparation and
filing of the Fund's prospectus and registration statement proxy materials and
reports, setting the prospectus in type, setting in type and printing the proxy
materials and reports to shareholders (including the costs of printing a
prospectus that constitutes an annual report), the preparation of all statements
and notices required by any federal or state law, and all taxes on the issuance
or transfer of the Fund's shares.
5.3. The Company shall bear the expenses of distributing the Fund's
prospectus, proxy materials and reports to owners of Contracts issued by the
Company.
ARTICLE VI. Diversification
6.1. The Fund will at all times invest money from the Contracts in such a
manner as to ensure that the Contracts will be treated as variable contracts
under the Code and the regulations issued thereunder. Without limiting the scope
of the foregoing, the Fund will at all times comply with Section 817(h) of the
Code and Treasury Regulation 1.817-5, relating to the
9
<PAGE>
diversification requirements for variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance
contracts and any amendments or other modifications to such Section or
Regulations. In the event of a breach of this Article VI by the Fund, it will
take all reasonable steps (a) to notify Company of such breach and (b) to
adequately diversify the Fund so as to achieve compliance with the grace period
afforded by Regulation 1.817-5.
ARTICLE VII. Potential Conflicts
7.1. The Board will monitor the Fund for the existence of any material
irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the contract owners of all
separate accounts investing in the Fund. An irreconcilable material conflict may
arise for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by any state insurance
regulatory authority.; (b) a change in applicable federal or state insurance,.
tax, or securities laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private letter
ruling, no-action or interpretative letter, or any similar action by insurance,
tax, or securities regulatory authorities; (c) an administrative or judicial
decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the manner in which the investments of
any Portfolio are being managed; (e) a difference in voting , instructions given
by variable annuity contract and variable life insurance contract owners; or.
(f) a decision by an insurer to disregard the voting instructions of contract
owners. The Board shall promptly inform the Company if it determines that an
irreconcilable material conflict exists and the implications thereof.
7.2. The Company will report any potential or existing conflicts of which
it is aware to the Board. The Company will assist the Board in carrying out its
responsibilities under the Shared Funding Exemptive Order, by providing the
Board with all information reasonably necessary for the Board to consider any
issues raised. This includes, but is not limited to, aft obligation by the
Company to inform the Board whenever contract owner voting instructions are
disregarded.
7.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Board, or a majority of its
disinterested trustees, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists, the
Company and other Participating Insurance Companies shall, at their expense and
to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined by a majority of the
disinterested trustees), take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or
eliminate the irreconcilable material conflict, up to and including: (1),
withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the separate accounts from
the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different investment
medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of the Fund, or
submitting the question whether such segregation should be implemented to a vote
of all affected Contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of
any appropriate group (i.e., annuity contract owners, life insurance contract
owners, or variable contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance
Companies) that votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected
contract owners the option of making such a change; and (2), establishing a new
registered management investment company or managed separate account.
7.4. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a decision by
the Company to disregard contract owner voting instructions and that decision
represents a minority position or
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<PAGE>
would preclude a majority vote, the Company may be required, at the Fund's
election, to withdraw the affected Account's investment in the Fund and
terminate this Agreement with respect to such Account; provided, however that
such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by the
foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board. Any such withdrawal and termination must
take place within six (6) months after the Fund gives written notice that this
provision is being implemented, and until the end of that six month period the
Underwriter and Fund shall continue to accept and implement orders by the
Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.5. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular
state insurance regulator's decision applicable to the Company conflicts with
the majority of other state regulators, then the Company will withdraw the
affected Accounts investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with
respect to such Account within six months after the Board informs the Company in
writing that it has determined that such decision has created an irreconcilable
material conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall
be limited to the extent required by the foregoing material irreconcilable
conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board.
Until the end of the foregoing six month period, the Underwriter and Fund shall
continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and
redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.6. For purposes of Sections 7.3 through 7.6 of this Agreement, a
majority of the disinterested members of the Board shall determine whether any
proposed action adequately; remedies any irreconcilable material conflict but in
no event will the Fund be required to establish a new funding medium for the
Contracts. The Company shall not be required by Section 7.3 to establish a new
funding medium for the Contracts if an offer to do so has been declined by vote
of a majority of Contract owners materially adversely affected by the
irreconcilable material conflict. In the event that the Board determines that
any proposed action does not adequately remedy any irreconcilable material
conflict then the Company will withdraw the Account's investment in the Fund and
terminate this Agreement within six (6) months after the Board informs the
Company in writing of the foregoing determination, provided, however, that such
withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by any such
material irreconcilable conflict as determined by. a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board.
7.7. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended, or
Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the Act
or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding (as
defined in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions
materially different from those contained in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order,
then (a) the Fund and/or the Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate,
shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply with Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3(T),
as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent such rules are applicable;
and (b) Sections 3.4, 3.5, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3,.7.4, and 7.5 of this Agreement shall
continue in effect only to the extent that terms and conditions substantially
identical to such Sections are contained in such Rule(s) as so amended or
adopted.
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<PAGE>
ARTICLE VIII. Indemnification
8.1. Indemnification By The Company
8.l(a). The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund
and each trustee of the Board and officers and each person, if any, who controls
the Fund within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.1) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Company) or litigation (including legal and other
expenses), to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any
statute, regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements
are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund's shares or the Contracts
and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or
alleged untrue statements of any material fact contained in the
Registration Statement or prospectus for the Contracts or contained in
the Contracts or sales literature for the Contracts (or any amendment
or supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based
upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify
shall not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or
omission or such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance
upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by or
on behalf of the Fund for use in the Registration Statement or
prospectus for the Contracts or in the Contracts or sales literature
(or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection
with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or
representations (other than statements or representations contained in
the Registration Statement prospectus or sales literature of the Fund
not supplied by the Company, or persons under its control) or wrongful
conduct of the Company or persons under its control, with respect to
the sale or distribution of the Contracts or Fund Shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement
prospectus, or sales literature of the Fund or any amendment thereof
or supplement thereto or the omission or alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements there in not misleading if such a statement or
omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Fund
by or on behalf of the Company; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Company to provide
the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement; or
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<PAGE>
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Company in this Agreement
or arise out of or result from any other material breach of this
Agreement by the Company, as limited by and in accordance with the
provisions of Sections 8.1(b) and 8.1(c) hereof.
8.1(b). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation
incurred or assessed against an Indemnified Party as such may arise from such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the
performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified
Party's reckless disregard of obligations or duties under this Agreement or to
the Fund, whichever is applicable.
8.1(c). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless
such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Company in writing within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Company of any
such claim shall not relieve the Company from any liability which it may have to
the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on
account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought
against the Indemnified Parties, the Company shall be entitled to participate,
at its own expense, in the defense of such action. The Company also shall be
entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party
named in the action. After notice from the Company to such party of the
Company's election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall
bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it and the
Company will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or
other expenses subsequently incurred by such party-independently in connection
with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.1(d). The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify the Company of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in connection with
the issuance or sale of the Fund Shares or the Contracts or the operation of the
Fund.
8.2. Indemnification by the Underwriter
8.2(a). The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company
and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the
Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.2) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Underwriter) or litigation (including legal and other
expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute,
at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities
or expenses (or actions in respect
13
<PAGE>
thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund's
shares or the Contracts and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in
the Registration Statement or prospectus or sales
literature of the Fund (or any amendment or supplement to
any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon
the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein not misleading, provided
that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any
Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such
alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon
and in conformity with information furnished to the
Underwriter or Fund by or on behalf of the Company for use
in the Registration Statement or prospectus for the Fund
or in sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or
otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the
Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or
representations (other than statements or representations
contained in the Registration Statement, prospectus or
sales literature for the Contracts not supplied by the
Underwriter or persons under its control) or wrongful
conduct of the Fund, Adviser or Underwriter or persons
under their control, with respect to the sale or
distribution of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in a Registration
Statement, prospectus, or sales literature covering the
Contracts, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto,
or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statement or statements therein not
misleading, if such statement or omission was made in
reliance upon information furnished to the Corn any by or
on behalf of the Fund; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide
the services and furnish the materials under the terms of
this Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional
or in good faith or otherwise, to comply with the
diversification requirements specified in Article VI of
this Agreement); or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Underwriter in
this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other
material breach of this Agreement by the Underwriter; as
limited by and in accordance with the provisions of
Sections 8.2(b) and 8.2(c) hereof.
8.2(b). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or litigation to which an Indemnified Party would
14
<PAGE>
otherwise be subject by reason of such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance,
bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's
duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of
obligations and duties under this Agreement or to each Company or the Account,
whichever is applicable.
8.2(c). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified
Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Underwriter in
writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process
giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Underwriter of
any such claim shall not relieve the Underwriter from any liability which it may
have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than
on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought
against the Indemnified Parties, the Underwriter will be entitled to
participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Underwriter also
shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to
the party named in the action. After notice from the Underwriter to such party
of the Underwriter's election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified
Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it,
and the Underwriter will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for
any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in
connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of
investigation.
8.2(d). The Company agrees promptly to notify the Underwriter of
the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its
officers or directors in connection with the issuance or sale of the Contracts
or the operation of each Account.
8.3. Indemnification By the Fund
8.3(a). The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Company, and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who
controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
(collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.3)
against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid
in settlement with the written consent of the Fund) or litigation (including
legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject
under any statute, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements
result from the gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of the Board
or any member thereof, are related to the operations of the Fund and:
(i) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement (including a failure to comply with the
diversification requirements specified in Article VI of
this Agreement); or
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<PAGE>
(ii) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Fund in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other
material breach of this Agreement by the Fund;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.3(b) and
8.3(c) hereof.
8.3(b). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation
incurred or assessed against an Indemnified Party as such may arise from such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the
performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified
'Party's reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to
the Company, the Fund, the Underwriter or each Account, whichever is applicable.
8.3(c). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless
such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Fund in writing within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Fund of any
such claim shall not relieve the Fund from any liability which it may have to
the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on
account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought
against the Indemnified Parties, the Fund will be entitled to participate, at
its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Fund also shall be entitled to
assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the
action. After notice from the Fund to such party of the Fund's election to
assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and
expenses of any additional counsel retained by it and the Fund will not be
liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense
thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.3(d). The Company and the Underwriter agree promptly to notify the
Fund of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of
its respective officers or directors in connection with this Agreement, the
issuance or sale of the Contracts, with respect to the operation of either
Account or the sale or acquisition of shares of the Fund.
ARTICLE IX. Applicable Law
9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933,
1934 and 1940 acts, and the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder,
including such exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the
Securities and Exchange Commission may grant (including, but not limited to, the
Shared Funding Exemptive Order) and the terms hereof shall be interpreted and
construed in accordance therewith.
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<PAGE>
ARTICLE X. Termination
-----------
10.1. This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until
the first to occur of.
(a) termination by any party for any reason by sixty (60) days'
advance written notice delivered to the other parties; or
(b) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio based upon the
Company's determination that shares of such Portfolio are not
reasonably available to meet the requirements of the Contracts;
or
(c) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event any of the
Portfolio's shares are not registered, issued or sold in
accordance with applicable state and/or federal law or such law
precludes the use of such shares as the underlying investment
media of the Contracts issued or to be issued by the Company; or
(d) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event that such
Portfolio ceases to qualify as a Regulated Investment Company
under Subchapter M of the Code or under any successor or similar
provision, or if the Company reasonably believes that the Fund
may fail to so qualify; or
(e) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event that such
Portfolio fails to meet the diversification requirements
specified in Article VI hereof; or
(f) termination by either the Fund or the Underwriter by written
notice to the Company, if either one or both of the Fund or the
Underwriter respectively, shall determine, in their sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that the Company and/or its affiliated
companies has suffered a material adverse change in its business,
operations, financial condition or prospects since the date of
this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse publicity;
or
(g) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter, if the Company shall determine, in its sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that either the Fund or the Underwriter
has suffered a material adverse change in its business,
operations, financial condition or prospects since the date of
this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse publicity;
or
17
<PAGE>
(h) termination by the Fund or the Underwriter by written notice to
the Company, if the Company gives the Fund and the Underwriter
the written notice specified in Section 1.6(b) hereof and at the
time such notice was given there was no notice of termination
outstanding under any other provision of this Agreement;
provided, however any termination under this Section 10.1(h)
shall be effective forty five (45) days after the notice
specified in Section 1.6(b) was given.
10.2. Effect of Termination. Notwithstanding any termination of this
Agreement, the Fund and the Underwriter shall at the option of the Company,
continue to make available additional shares of the Fund pursuant to the terms
and conditions of this Agreement, for all Contracts in effect on the effective
date of termination of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "Existing
Contracts"). Specifically, without limitation, the owners of the Existing
Contracts shall be permitted to reallocate investments in the Fund, redeem
investments in the Fund and/or invest in the Fund upon the making of additional
purchase payments under the Existing Contracts. The parties agree that this
Section 10.2 shall not apply to any terminations under Article VII and the
effect of such Article VII terminations shall be governed by Article VII of this
Agreement.
10.3. The Company shall not redeem Fund shares attributable to the
Contracts (as opposed to Fund shares attributable to the Company's assets held
in the Account) except (i) as necessary to implement Contract Owner initiated or
approved transactions, or (ii) as required by state and/or federal laws or
regulations or judicial or other legal precedent of general application
(hereinafter referred to as a "Legally Required Redemption") or (iii) as
permitted by an order of the SEC pursuant to Section 26(b) of the 1940 Act. Upon
request, the Company will promptly furnish to the Fund and the Underwriter the
opinion of counsel for the Company (which counsel shall be reasonably
satisfactory to the Fund and the Underwriter) to the effect that any redemption
pursuant to clause (ii) above is a Legally Required Redemption. Furthermore,
except in cases where permitted under the terms of the Contracts, the Company
shall not prevent Contract Owners from allocating payments to a Portfolio that
was otherwise available under the Contracts without first giving the Fund or the
Underwriter 90 days notice of its intention to do so.
ARTICLE XI. Notices
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or
certified mail to the other party at the address of such party set forth below
or at such other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing
to the other party.
If to the Fund:
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Attention: Treasurer
If to the Company:
Providian Corporation
400 West Market Street
18
<PAGE>
P.O. Box 32830
Louisville, KY 40232
Attention: Jeffrey P. Lammers
with a copy to:
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
520 Columbia Drive
Johnson City, NY 13790
Attention: Marketing Director
If to the Underwriter:
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Attention: Treasurer
ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous
12.1 All persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the
property of the Fund for the enforcement of any claims against the Fund as
neither the Board, officers, agents or shareholders assume any personal
liability for obligations entered into on behalf of the Fund.
12.2 Subject to the requirements of legal process and regulatory
authority, each party hereto shall treat as confidential the names and
addresses of the owners of the Contracts and all information reasonably
identified as confidential in writing by any other party hereto and, except as
permitted by this Agreement, shall not disclose, disseminate or utilize such
names and addresses and other confidential information until such time as it may
come into the public domain without the express written consent of the affected
party.
12.3 The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or
otherwise affect their construction or effect.
12.4 This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more
counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
12.5 If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid
by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement
shall not be affected thereby.
12.6 Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party and all
appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation the SEC, the
NASD and state insurance regulators) and shall permit such authorities
reasonable access to its books and records in connection with any investigation
or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, each party hereto further
19
<PAGE>
agrees to furnish the California Insurance Commissioner with any information or
reports in connection with services provided under this Agreement which such
Commissioner may request in order to ascertain whether the insurance operations
of the Company are being conducted in a manner consistent with the California
Insurance Regulations and any other applicable law or regulations.
12.7 The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement
are cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and
obligations, at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to under
state and federal laws.
12.8. This Agreement or any of the rights and obligations hereunder
may not be assigned by any party without the prior written consent of all
parties hereto; provided, however, that the Underwriter may assign this
Agreement or any fights or obligations hereunder to any affiliate of or company
under common control with the Underwriter, if such assignee is duly licensed and
registered to perform the obligations of the Underwriter under this Agreement.
12.9. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to
the Fund or its designee copies of the following reports:
(a) the Company's annual statement (prepared under statutory
accounting principles) and annual report (prepared under
generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), if any), as
soon as practical and in any event within 90 days after the end
of each fiscal year;
(b) the Company's quarterly statements (statutory) (-and GAAP, if
any), as soon as practical and in any event within 45 days after
the end of each quarterly period:
(c) any financial statement, proxy statement notice or report of the
Company sent to stockholders and/or policyholders, as soon as
practical after the delivery thereof to stockholders;
(d) any registration statement (without exhibits) and financial
reports of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission or any state insurance regulator, as soon as
practical after the filing thereof;
(e) any other report submitted to the Company by independent
accountants in connection with any annual, interim or special
audit made by them of the books of the Company, as soon as
practical after the receipt thereof.
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
representative and its seal to be hereunder affixed hereto as of the date
specified below.
20
<PAGE>
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
By: /s/ Jeffrey P. Lammers
--------------------------
Name: Jeffrey P. Lammers
-----------------------
Title: Senior Vice President
-----------------------
VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND II
By: /s/ J. Gary Burkhead
---------------------
J. Gary Burkhead
Senior Vice President
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
By: /s/ Neal Litvack
-----------------
Neal Litvack
President
21
<PAGE>
Schedule A
Separate Accounts and Associated Contracts
Name of Separate Account and Policy Form Numbers of Contracts
Date Established by Board of Directors Funded By Separate Account
First Providian Life and Health Insurance NA104A-NYC (7/95)
Company Separate Account C
(November 4, 1994)
22
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE B
PROXY VOTING PROCEDURE
The following is a list of procedures and corresponding responsibilities for the
handling of proxies relating to the Fund by the Underwriter, the Fund and the
Company. The defined terms herein shall have the meanings assigned in the
Participation Agreement except that the term "Company" shall also include the
department or third party assigned by the Insurance Company to perform the steps
delineated below.
1. The number of proxy proposals is given to the Company by the Underwriter as
early as possible before the date set by the Fund for the shareholder
meeting to facilitate the establishment of tabulation procedures. At this
time the Underwriter will inform the Company of the Record, Mailing and
Meeting dates. This will be done verbally approximately two months before
meeting.
2. Promptly after the Record Date, the Company will perform a "tape run", or
other activity, which will generate the names, addresses and number of
units which are attributed to each contractowner/policyholder (the
"Customer") as of the Record Date. Allowance should be made for account
adjustments made after this date that could affect the status of the
Customers' accounts as of the Record Date.
Note: The number of proxy statements is determined by the activities
described in Step #2. The Company will use its best efforts to call in the
number of Customers to Fidelity, as soon as possible, but no later than two
weeks after the Record Date.
3. The Fund's Annual Report no longer needs to be sent to each Customer by the
Company either before or together with the Customers' receipt of a proxy
statement. Underwriter will provide the last Annual Report to the Company
pursuant to the terms of Section 3.3 of the Agreement to which this
Schedule relates.
4. The text and format for the Voting Instruction Cards ("Cards" or "Card") is
provided to the Company by the Fund. The Company, at its expense, shall
produce and personalize the Voting Instruction Cards. The Legal Department
of the Underwriter or its affiliate ("Fidelity Legal") must approve the
Card before it is printed. Allow approximately 2-4 business days for
printing information on the Cards. Information commonly found on the Cards
includes:
a. name (legal name as found on account registration)
b. address
c. Fund or account number
d. coding to state number of units
e. individual Card number for use in tracking and verification of
votes (already on Cards as printed by the Fund)
(This and related steps may occur later in the chronological process due to
possible uncertainties relating to the proposals.)
23
<PAGE>
5. During this time, Fidelity Legal will develop, produce, and the Fund will
pay for the Notice of Proxy and the Proxy Statement (one document). Printed
and folded notices and statements will be sent to Company for insertion
into envelopes (envelopes and return envelopes are provided and paid for by
the Insurance Company). Contents of envelope sent to Customers by Company
will include;
a. Voting Instruction Card(s)
b. One proxy notice and statement (one document)
c. return envelope (postage pre-paid by Company) addressed to the
Company or its tabulation agent
d. "urge buckslip" - optional, but recommended. (This is a small,
single sheet of paper that requests Customers to vote as quickly as
possible and that their vote is important. One copy will be
supplied by the Fund.)
e. cover letter - optional, supplied by Company and reviewed and
approved in advance by Fidelity Legal.
6. The above contents should be received by the Company approximately 3-5
business days before mail date. Individual in charge at Company reviews and
approves the contents of the mailing package to ensure correctness and
completeness. Copy of this approval sent to Fidelity Legal.
7. Package mailed by the Company.
* The Fund must allow at least a 15-day solicitation time to the Company
as the shareowner. (A 5-week period is recommended.) Solicitation time
is calculated as calendar days from (but not including) the meeting,
counting backwards.
8. Collection and tabulation of Cards begins. Tabulation usually takes place
in another department or another vendor depending on process used. An often
used procedure is to sort Cards on arrival by proposal into vote categories
of all yes, no, or mixed replies, and to begin data entry.
Note: Postmarks are not generally needed. A need for postmark information
would be due to an insurance company's internal procedure and has not been
required by Fidelity in the past.
9. Signatures on Card checked against legal name on account registration which
was printed on the Card.
Note: For Example, If the account registration is under "Bertram C. Jones,
Trustee," then that is the exact legal name to be printed on the Card and
is the signature needed on the Card.
24
<PAGE>
10. If Cards are mutilated, or for any reason are illegible or are not signed
properly, they a-re sent back to Customer with an explanatory letter, a new
Card and return envelope. The mutilated or illegible Card is disregarded
and considered to be not received for purposes of vote tabulation. Any
Cards that have "kicked out" (e.g. mutilated, illegible) of the procedure
are "hand verified," i.e., examined as to why they did not complete the
system. Any questions on those Cards are usually remedied individually.
11. There are various control procedures used to ensure proper tabulation of
votes and accuracy of that tabulation. The most prevalent is to sort the
Cards as they first arrive into categories depending upon their vote; an
estimate of how the vote is progressing may then be calculated. If the
initial estimates and the actual vote do not coincide, then an internal
audit of that vote should occur. This may entail a recount.
12. The actual tabulation of votes is done in units which is then converted to
shares. (It is very important that the Fund receives the tabulations stated
in terms of a percentage and the number of shares.) Fidelity Legal must
review and approve tabulation format.
13. Final tabulation in shares is verbally given by the Company to Fidelity
Legal on the morning of the meeting not later than 10:00 a.m. Boston time.
Fidelity Legal may request an earlier deadline if required to calculate the
vote in time for the meeting.
14. A Certification of Mailing and Authorization to Vote Shares will be
required from the Company as well as an original copy of the final vote.
Fidelity Legal will provide a standard form for each Certification.
15. The Company will be required to box and archive the Cards received from the
Customers. In the event that any vote is challenged or if otherwise
necessary for legal, regulatory, or accounting purposes, Fidelity Legal
will be permitted reasonable access to such Cards.
16. All approvals and "signing-off" may be done orally,but must always be
followed up in writing.
25
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE C
Other investment companies currently available under variable annuities or
variable life insurance issued by the Company:
Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund
T. Rowe Price Equity Series, Inc.
T. Rowe Price International Series, Inc.
Quest For Value Accumulation Trust
26
<PAGE>
Exhibit 8(c)
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
-----------------------
Among
T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL SERIES, INC.;
T. ROWE PRICE EQUITY SERIES, INC.;
T. ROWE PRICE INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.;
and
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH
INSURANCE COMPANY
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as of this 15th day of November, 1996
by and among First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company (hereinafter, the
"Company"), a New York company, on its own behalf and on behalf of each
segregated asset account of the Company set forth on Schedule A hereto as may be
amended from time to time (each account hereinafter referred to as the
"Account"), and the undersigned funds, each a corporation organized under the
laws of Maryland (each fund hereinafter referred to as the "Fund") and T. Rowe
Price Investment Services, Inc. (hereinafter the "Underwriter"), a Maryland
corporation.
WHEREAS, the Fund engages in business as an open-end management investment
company and is or will be available to act as the investment vehicle for
separate accounts established for variable life insurance and variable annuity
contracts (the "Variable Insurance Products") to be offered by insurance
companies which have entered into participation agreements with the Fund and
Underwriter (hereinafter "Participating Insurance Companies"); and
WHEREAS, the beneficial interest in the Fund is divided into several series
of shares, each designated a "Portfolio" and representing the interest in a
particular managed portfolio of securities and other assets; and
WHEREAS, the Fund has obtained an order from the Securities and Exchange
Commission ("SEC") granting Participating Insurance Companies and variable
annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts exemptions from the
provisions of sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a), and 15(b) of the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended, (hereinafter the "1940 Act") and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and
6e-3(T) (b)(I5) thereunder, if and to the extent necessary to permit shares of
the Fund to be sold to and held by variable annuity and variable life insurance
separate accounts of both affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies
(hereinafter the "Shared Funding Exemptive Order"); and
<PAGE>
2
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the 1940 Act and shares of the Portfolios are registered under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (hereinafter the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and Rowe Price-Fleming
International, Inc. (each hereafter referred to as the "Adviser") are each duly
registered as investment advisers under the federal Investment Advisers Act of
1940, as amended, and any applicable state securities laws; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register certain variable life
insurance and variable annuity contracts supported wholly or partially by the
Account (the "Contracts") under the 1933 Act and said Contracts are listed in
Schedule A hereto, as it may be amended from time to time by mutual written
agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Account is duly established and maintained as a segregated
asset account, established by resolution of the Board of Directors of the
Company, on the date shown for such Account on Schedule A hereto, to set aside
and invest assets attributable to the aforesaid Contracts; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register the Account as a unit
investment trust under the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Underwriter is registered as a broker dealer with the SEC
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (hereinafter the "1934
Act"), and is a member in good standing of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. (hereinafter "NASD"); and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and
regulations, the Company intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios listed in
Schedule A hereto, as it may be amended from time to time by mutual written
agreement (the "Designated Portfolios") on behalf of the Account to fund the
aforesaid Contracts, and the Underwriter is authorized to sell such shares to
unit investment trusts such as the Account at net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Company, the
Fund and the Underwriter agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. Sale of Fund Shares
-------------------
1.1 The Underwriter agrees to sell to the Company those shares of the
Designated Portfolios which the Account orders, executing such orders on a daily
basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by the Fund or its
designee of the order for the shares of the Designated Portfolios.
1.2 The Fund agrees to make shares of the Designated Portfolios available
for purchase at the applicable net asset value per share by the Company and the
Account on those days on which the Fund calculates its net asset value pursuant
to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Fund shall use
reasonable efforts to calculate such net asset value on each day which the New
<PAGE>
3
York Stock Exchange is open for trading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Board of Trustees or Directors of the Fund (hereinafter the "Board") may refuse
to sell shares of any Designated Portfolio to any person, or suspend or
terminate the offering of shares of any Designated Portfolio if such action is
required by law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, or is, in the
sole discretion of the Board acting in good faith and in light of their
fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws, necessary in the
best interests of the shareholders of such Designated Portfolio.
1.3 The Fund and the Underwriter agree that shares of the Fund will be
sold only to Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts. No
shares of any Designated Portfolios will be sold to the general public. The Fund
and the Underwriter will not sell Fund shares to any insurance company or
separate account unless an agreement containing provisions substantially the
same as Articles I, III and VII of this Agreement is in effect to govern such
sales.
1.4 The Fund agrees to redeem, on the Company's request, any full or
fractional shares of the Designated Portfolios held by the Company, executing
such requests on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after
receipt by the Fund or its designee of the request for redemption, except that
the Fund reserves the right to suspend the right of redemption or postpone the
date of payment or satisfaction upon redemption consistent with Section 22(e) of
the 1940 Act and any rules thereunder, and in accordance with the procedures and
policies of the Fund as described in the then current prospectus. Subject to the
foregoing, the Fund shall ordinarily wire any net redemption proceeds to the
Company on the next Business Day after an order to redeem Fund shares is made.
Payment shall be in federal funds transmitted by wire by 3:00 p.m. Baltimore
time.
1.5 For purposes of Section 1.1 and 1.4, the Company shall be the designee
of the Fund for receipt of purchase and redemption orders from the Account, and
receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund; provided that the
Company receives the order by 4:00 p.m. Baltimore time and the Fund receives
notice of such order by 9:30 a.m. Baltimore time on the next following Business
Day by facsimile transmission or by such other means as the Fund and the Company
may agree to in writing. "Business Day" shall mean any day on which the New York
Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which the Fund calculates its net
asset value pursuant to the rules of the SEC.
1.6 The Company agrees to purchase and redeem the shares of each Portfolio
offered by the then current prospectus of the Fund and in accordance with the
provisions of such prospectus.
1.7 The Company shall pay for Fund shares on the next Business Day after
an order to purchase Fund shares is made. Payment shall be in federal funds
transmitted by wire by 3:00 p.m. Baltimore time. If payment in Federal Funds for
any purchase is not received or is received by the Fund after 3:00 p.m.
Baltimore time on such Business Day, the Company shall promptly, upon the Fund's
request, reimburse the Fund for any charges, costs, fees, interest or other
expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with any advances to, or borrowings
or overdrafts by, the Fund, or any similar expenses incurred by the Fund, as a
result of portfolio transactions effected by the Fund based upon such purchase
request. For purposes of Section 2.8 and 2.9 hereof, upon receipt by the Fund of
the federal funds so wired, such funds shall cease to be the responsibility of
the Company and shall become the responsibility of the Fund.
<PAGE>
4
1.8 Issuance and transfer of the Fund's shares will be by book entry only.
Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or any Account. Shares
ordered from the Fund will be recorded in an appropriate title for each Account
or the appropriate subaccount of each Account.
1.9 The Fund shall furnish same day notice (by wire or telephone, followed
by written confirmation) to the Company of any income, dividends or capital gain
distributions payable on the Designated Portfolios' shares. The Company hereby
elects to receive all such income, dividends, and capital gain distributions as
are payable on Designated Portfolio shares in additional shares of that
Portfolio. The Company reserves the right to revoke this election and to receive
all such income dividends and capital gain distributions in cash. The Fund
shall notify the Company of the number of shares so issued as payment of such
dividends and distributions.
1.10 The Fund shall make the net asset value per share for each Designated
Portfolio available to the Company on a daily basis as soon as reasonably
practical after the net asset value per share is calculated (normally by 6:30
p.m. E.S.T.) and shall use its best efforts to make such net asset value per
share available by 7 p.m. E.S.T.
1.11 The Parties hereto acknowledge that the arrangement contemplated by
this Agreement is not exclusive; the Fund's shares may be sold to other
insurance companies (subject to Section 1.3 and Article VI hereof) and the cash
value of the Contracts may be invested in other investment companies, provided,
however, that (a) such other investment company, or series thereof, has,
investment objectives or policies that are substantially different from the
investment objectives and policies of the Fund; or (b) the Company gives the
Fund and the Underwriter 45 days written notice of its intention to make such
other investment company available as a funding vehicle for the Contracts; or
(c) such other investment company was available as a funding vehicle for the
Contracts prior to the signing of this Agreement and appears on Schedule B to
this Agreement; or (d) the Fund or Underwriter consents to the use of such other
investment company, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld.
ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties
------------------------------
2.1 The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts are or will be
registered under the 1933 Act; that the Contracts will be issued and sold in
compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state laws
and that the sale of the Contracts shall comply in all material respects with
state insurance suitability requirements. The Company further represents and
warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in good standing
under applicable law and that it has legally and validly established the Account
prior to any issuance or sale thereof as a segregated asset account under the
New York insurance laws and has registered or, prior to any issuance or sale of
the Contracts, will register the Account as a unit investment trust in
accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as a segregated
investment account for the Contracts.
2.2 The Fund represents and warrants that Fund shares sold pursuant to
this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, duly authorized for
issuance and sold in compliance with the laws of the State of New York and all
applicable federal and state securities laws and that the Fund is and shall
remain registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund shall amend the Registration
Statement
<PAGE>
5
for its shares under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to time as required
in order to effect the continuous offering of its shares. The Fund shall
register and qualify the shares for sale in accordance with the laws of the
various states only if and to the extent deemed legally advisable by the Fund or
the Underwriter.
2.3 The Fund currently does not intend to make any payments to finance
distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, although it may
make such payments in the future. To the extent that it decides to finance
distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1, the Fund will undertake to have a
Board, a majority of whom are not interested persons of the Fund, formulate and
approve any plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act to finance
distribution expenses.
2.4 The Fund makes no representations as to whether any aspect of its
operations, including but not limited to, investment policies, fees and
expenses, complies with the insurance and other applicable laws of the various
states, except that the Fund represents that the Fund's investment policies,
fees and expenses are and shall at all times remain in compliance with the laws
of the State of New York to the extent required to perform this Agreement.
2.5 The Fund represents that it is lawfully organized and validly existing
under the laws of the State of Maryland and that it does and will comply in all
material respects with the 1940 Act.
2.6 The Underwriter represents and warrants that it is a member in good
standing of the NASD and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. The
Underwriter further represents that it will sell and distribute the Fund shares
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York and any applicable state
and federal securities laws.
2.7 The Underwriter represents and warrants that the Adviser is and shall
remain duly registered under all applicable federal and state securities laws
and that the Adviser shall perform its obligations for the Fund in compliance in
all material respects with the laws of the State of New York and any applicable
state and federal securities laws.
2.8 The Fund and the Underwriter represent and warrant that all of their
directors, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other individuals or
entities dealing with the money and/or securities of the Fund are and shall
continue to be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar
coverage for the benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than the minimum
coverage as required currently by Rule 17g-1 of the 1940 Act or related
provisions as may be promulgated from time to time. The aforesaid bond shall
include coverage for larceny and embezzlement and shall be issued by a reputable
bonding company.
2.9 The Company represents and warrants that all of its directors,
officers, employees, investment advisers, and other individuals/entities
employed or controlled by the Company dealing with the money and/or securities
of the Fund are covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage for the
benefit of the Fund, in an amount not less than $5 million. The aforesaid bond
includes coverage for larceny and embezzlement and is issued by a reputable
bonding company. The Company agrees to make all reasonable efforts to see that
this bond or another bond containing these
<PAGE>
6
provisions is always in effect and agrees to notify the Fund and the Underwriter
in the event that such coverage no longer applies.
ARTICLE III. Prospectuses and Proxy Statements; Voting
-----------------------------------------
3.1 The Underwriter shall provide the Company (at the Company's expense)
with as many copies of the Fund's current prospectus (describing only the
Designated Portfolios listed on Schedule A) as the Company may reasonably
request. If requested by the Company in lieu thereof, the Fund shall provide
such documentation (including an 8 1/2" x 11" camera ready copy of the new
prospectus at the Fund's expense) and other assistance as is reasonably
necessary in order for the Company once each year (or more frequently if the
prospectus for the Fund is amended) to have the prospectus for the Contracts and
the Funds prospectus printed together in one document (such printing to be at
the Company's expense).
3.2 The Fund's prospectus shall state that the current Statement of
Additional Information ("SAI") for the Fund is available from the Company, and
the Underwriter (or the Fund) at its expense, shall print and provide a copy of
such SAI free of charge to the Company for itself and for any owner of a
Contract who requests such SAI.
3.3 The Fund, at its expense, shall provide the Company with copies of its
proxy material, reports to shareholders, and other communications to
shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall reasonably require for
distributing to Contract owners.
3.4 The Company shall:
(i) solicit voting instructions from Contract owners;
(ii) vote the Fund shares in accordance with instructions received
from Contract owners; and
(iii) vote Fund shares for which no instructions have been received
in the same proportion as Fund shares of such portfolio for
which instructions have been received,
so long as and to the extent that the SEC continues to interpret the 1940 Act to
require pass-through voting privileges for variable contract owners or to the
extent otherwise required by law. The Company reserves the right to vote Fund
shares held in any segregated asset account in its own right, to the extent
permitted by law.
3.5 Participating Insurance Companies shall be responsible for assuring
that each of their separate accounts participating in a Designated Portfolio
calculates voting privileges as required by the Shared Funding Exemptive Order
and consistent with any reasonable standards that the Fund may adopt and provide
in writing, which are acceptable to the Company (such acceptance not be
unreasonably withheld) and not inconsistent with the Shared Funding Exemptive
Order.
<PAGE>
7
3.6 The Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act requiring
voting by shareholders, and in particular the Fund will either provide for
annual meetings or comply with Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act (although the Fund
is not one of the trusts described in Section 16(c) of that Act) as well as with
Sections 16(a) and, if and when applicable, 16(b). Further, the Fund will act in
accordance with the SEC's interpretation of the requirements of Section 16(a)
with respect to periodic elections of directors or trustees and with whatever
rules the Commission may promulgate with respect thereto.
ARTICLE IV. Sales Material and Information
------------------------------
4.1 The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the Fund
or its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional material
that the Company develops or uses and in which the Fund (or a Portfolio thereof)
or the Adviser or the Underwriter is named, at least fifteen Business Days prior
to its use. No such material shall be used if the Fund or its designee
reasonably object to such use within fifteen Business Days after receipt of such
material. The Fund or its designee reserves the right to reasonably object to
the continued use of such material, and no such material shall be used if the
Fund or its designee so object.
4.2 The Company shall not give any information or make any representations
or statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund in connection with
the sale of the Contracts other than the information or representations
contained in the registration statement or prospectus or SAI for the Fund
shares, as such registration statement and prospectus or SAI may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Fund,
or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Fund or its
designee or by the Underwriter, except with the permission of the Fund or the
Underwriter or the designee of either.
4.3 The Fund, Underwriter, or its designee shall furnish, or shall cause
to be furnished, to the Company, each piece of sales literature or other
promotional material in which the Company, and/or its Account, is named at least
fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall be used if the
Company reasonably objects to such use within fifteen Business Days after
receipt of such material. The Company reserves the right to reasonably object to
the continued use of such material, and no such material shall be used if the
Company so objects.
4.4. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not give any information or make
any representations on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company, the
Account, or the Contracts other than the information or representations
contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts, as such
registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time
to time, or in published reports for the Account which are in the public domain
or approved by the Company for distribution to Contract Owners, or in sales
literature or other promotional material approved by the Company or its
designee, except with the permission of the Company.
4.5. The Fund will provide to the Company at least one complete copy of all
registration statements, prospectuses, SAIs, reports, proxy statements, sales
literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions,
requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of
<PAGE>
8
the above, that relate to the Fund or its shares, contemporaneously with the
filing of such document(s) with the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
4.6 The Company will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy of all
registration statements, prospectuses, SAIs, reports, solicitations for voting
instructions, sales literature and other promotional materials, applications for
exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of the
above, that relate to the Contracts or the Account, contemporaneously with the
filing of such document(s) with the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
4.7 The Fund will provide the Company with as much notice as is reasonably
practicable of any proxy solicitation for any Designated Portfolio, and of any
material change in the Fund's registration statement, particularly any change
resulting in change to the registration statement or prospectus for any Account.
The Fund will work with the Company so as to enable the Company to solicit
proxies from Contract Owners, or to make changes to its prospectus or
registration statement in an orderly manner. The Fund will make reasonable
efforts to attempt to have changes affecting Contract prospectuses become
effective simultaneously with the annual updates for such prospectuses.
4.8 For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase "sales literature and
other promotional materials" includes, but is not limited to, any of the
following that refer to the Fund or any affiliate of the Fund: advertisements
(such as material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper, magazine, or
other periodical radio, television, telephone or tape recording, videotape
display, signs or billboards, motion pictures, or other public media), sales
literature (i.e., any written communication distributed or made generally
available to customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, reports,
market letters, form letters, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts of any other
advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or training
materials or other communications distributed or made generally available to
some or all agents or employees, and registration statements, prospectuses,
SAIs, shareholder reports, proxy materials, and any other communications
distributed or made generally available with regard to the Funds.
ARTICLE V. Fees and Expenses
-----------------
5.1 The Fund and the Underwriter shall pay no fee or other compensation to
the Company under this Agreement, except that if the Fund or any Designated
Portfolio adopts and implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 to finance
distribution expenses, then the Underwriter may make payments to the Company or
to the underwriter for the Contracts if and in amounts agreed to by the
Underwriter in writing and such payments will be made out of existing fees
otherwise payable to the Underwriter, past profits of the Underwriter, or other
resources available to the Underwriter. No such payments shall be made directly
by the Fund. Currently, no such payments are contemplated.
5.2 All expenses incident to performance by the Fund under this Agreement
shall be paid by the Fund. The Fund shall see to it that all its shares are
registered and authorized for issuance in accordance with applicable federal law
and, if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund, in accordance with
applicable state laws prior to their sale. The Fund shall bear the expenses for
the cost of registration and qualification of the Fund's shares, preparation and
filing of the Fund's
<PAGE>
9
prospectus and registration statement, proxy materials and reports, setting the
prospectus in type (including camera ready), setting in type and printing the
proxy materials and reports to shareholders (including the costs of printing a
prospectus that constitutes an annual report), the preparation of all statements
and notices required by any federal or state law, and all taxes on the issuance
or transfer of the Fund's shares.
5.3 The Company shall bear the expenses of printing and distributing the
Fund's prospectus to owners of Contracts issued by the Company and of
distributing the Fund's proxy materials and reports to such Contract owners.
ARTICLE VI. Diversification and Qualification
6.1 The Fund will invest its assets in such a manner as to ensure that the
Contracts will be treated as annuity or life insurance contracts, whichever is
appropriate, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code")
and the regulations issued thereunder (or any successor provisions). Without
limiting the scope of the foregoing, the Fund will comply with Section 817(h) of
the Code and Treasury Regulation (S)1.817-5, and any Treasury interpretations
thereof, relating to the diversification requirements for variable annuity,
endowment, or life insurance contracts and any amendments or other modifications
or successor provisions to such Section or Regulations. In the event of a breach
of this Article VI by the Fund, it will take all reasonable steps (a) to notify
the Company of such breach and (b) to adequately diversify the Fund so as to
achieve compliance within the grace period afforded by Regulation 817.5.
6.2 The Fund represents that it is qualified as a Regulated Investment
Company under Subchapter M of the Code, and that it will make every effort to
maintain such qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar
provisions) and that it will notify the Company immediately upon having a
reasonable basis for believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it might
not so qualify in the future.
6.3 The Company represents that the Contracts are currently, and at the
time of issuance shall be, treated as life insurance or annuity insurance
contracts, under applicable provisions of the Code, and that it will make every
effort to maintain such treatment, and that it will notify the Fund and the
Underwriter immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing the
Contracts have ceased to be so treated or that they might not be so treated in
the future. The Company agrees that any prospectus offering a contract that is a
"modified endowment contract" as that term is defined in Section 7702A of the
Code (or any successor or similar provision), shall identify such contract as a
modified endowment contract.
ARTICLE VII. Potential Conflicts
7.1 The Board will monitor the Fund for the existence of any material
irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the contract owners of all
separate accounts investing in the Fund. An irreconcilable material conflict may
arise for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by any state insurance
regulatory authority; (b) a change in applicable federal or state insurance,
tax, or securities laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private letter
ruling, no-action or interpretative letter,
<PAGE>
10
or any similar action by insurance, tax, or securities regulatory authorities;
(c) an administrative or judicial decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the
manner in which the investments of any Portfolio are being managed; (e) a
difference in voting instructions given by variable annuity contract and
variable life insurance contract owners; or (f) a decision by an insurer to
disregard the voting instructions of contract owners. The Board shall promptly
inform the Company if it determines that an irreconcilable material conflict
exists and the implications thereof.
7.2 The Company will report any potential or existing conflicts of which
it is aware to the Board. The Company will assist the Board in carrying out its
responsibilities under the Shared Funding Exemptive Order, by providing the
Board with all information reasonably necessary for the Board to consider any
issues raised. This includes, but is not limited to, an obligation by the
Company to inform the Board whenever contract owner voting instructions are
disregarded.
7.3 If it is determined by a majority of the Board, or a majority of its
disinterested members, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists, the
Company and other Participating Insurance Companies shall, at their expense and
to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined by a majority of the
disinterested Board members), take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or
eliminate the irreconcilable material conflict, up to and including: (1)
withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the separate accounts from
the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different investment
medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of the Fund, or
submitting the question whether such segregation should be implemented to a vote
of all affected contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of
any appropriate group (i.e., annuity contract owners, life insurance contract
owners, or variable contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance
Companies) that votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected
contract owners the option of making such a change; and (2) establishing a new
registered management investment company or managed separate account.
7.4 If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a decision by
the Company to disregard Contract owner voting instructions and that decision
represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote, the Company
may be required, at the Fund's election, to withdraw the Account's investment in
the Fund and terminate this Agreement with respect to each Account provided,
however, that such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent
required by the foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a
majority of the disinterested members of the Board. Any such withdrawal and
termination must take place within six (6) months after the Fund gives written
notice that this provision is being implemented, and until the end of that six
month period the Fund shall continue to accept and implement orders by the
Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.5 If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular
state insurance regulator's decision applicable to the Company conflicts with
the majority of other state regulators, then the Company will withdraw the
affected Account's investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with
respect to such Account within six months after the Board informs the Company in
writing that it has determined that such decision has created an irreconcilable
material conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall
be limited to the extent required by the foregoing material irreconcilable
conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members
<PAGE>
11
of the Board. Until the end of the foregoing six month period, the Fund shall
continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and
redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.6 For purposes of Section 7.3 through 7.6 of this Agreement, a majority
of the disinterested members of the Board shall determine whether any proposed
action adequately remedies any irreconcilable material conflict, but in no event
will the Fund be required to establish a new funding medium for the Contracts.
The Company shall not be required by Section 7.3 to establish a new funding
medium for the Contract if an offer to do so has been declined by vote of a
majority of Contract owners materially adversely affected by the irreconcilable
material conflict. In the event that the Board determines that any proposed
action does not adequately remedy any irreconcilable material conflict, then the
Company will withdraw the Account's investment in the Fund and terminate this
Agreement within six (6) months after the Board informs the Company in writing
of the foregoing determination; provided, however, that such withdrawal and
termination shall be limited to the extent required by any such material
irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members
of the Board.
7.7 If and to the extent Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended, or Rule
6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the 1940 Act
or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding (as
defined in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions
materially different from those contained in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order,
then (a) the Fund and/or the Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate,
shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply with Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3(T),
as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent such rules are applicable;
and (b) Sections 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 7.1., 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 of this Agreement
shall continue in effect only to the extent that terms and conditions
substantially identical to such Sections are contained in such Rule(s) as so
amended or adopted.
ARTICLE VIII. Indemnification
8.1 Indemnification By the Company
8.1(a). The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund,
the Underwriter and each of their directors and officers and each person, if
any, who controls the Fund or Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of
the 1933 Act (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this
Section 8.1) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including
amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the Company) or
litigation (including legal and other expenses), to which the Indemnified
Parties may become subject under any statute or regulation, at common law or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or
actions in respect thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or
acquisition of the Fund's shares or the Contracts and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or alleged
untrue statements of any material fact contained in the
Registration Statement, prospectus, or SAI for the Contracts or
contained in the Contracts or sales literature for the Contracts
(or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or
arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged
<PAGE>
12
omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not
apply as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission
or such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon
and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by
or on behalf of the Fund or Underwriter for use in the
Registration Statement, prospectus or SAI for the Contracts or
in the Contracts or sales literature (or any amendment or
supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of
the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in the
Registration Statement, prospectus, SAI, or sales literature of
the Fund not supplied by the Company or persons under its
control) or wrongful conduct of the Company or persons under
its authorization or control, with respect to the sale or
distribution of the Contracts or Fund Shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement,
prospectus, SAI, or sales literature of the Fund, or any
amendment thereof or supplement thereto or the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading, if such a statement or omission was made in
reliance upon information furnished to the Fund or Underwriter
by or on behalf of the Company; or
(iv) arise as a result of any material failure by the Company to
provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms
of this Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional
or in good faith or otherwise, to comply with the qualification
requirements specified in Article VI of this Agreement); or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Company in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material
breach of this Agreement by the Company,
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.1(b) and
8.1(c) hereof.
8.1(b). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation
to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the
performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified
Party's reckless disregard of its obligations or duties under this Agreement.
8.1(c). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless
such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Company in writing within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified
<PAGE>
13
Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such
service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Company of any such
claim shall not relieve the Company from any liability which it may have to the
Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account
of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought against an
Indemnified Party, the Company shall be entitled to participate, at its own
expense, in the defense of such action. The Company also shall be entitled to
assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the
action. After notice from the Company to such patty of the Company's election to
assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and
expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the Company will not be
liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense
thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.1(d). The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify the Company of
the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in connection
with the issuance or sale of the Fund Shares or the Contracts or the operation
of the Fund.
8.2 Indemnification by the Underwriter
---------------------------------
8.2(a). The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Company and each of it directors and officers and each person, if any, who
controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
(collectively, the "Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.2)
against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid
in settlement with the written consent of the Underwriter) or litigation
(including legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become
subject under any statute or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as
such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect
thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund's
shares or the Contracts; and
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of any material fact contained in the
Registration Statement, prospectus, SAI or sales literature of
the Fund (or any amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not
apply as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission
or such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon
and in conformity with information furnished to the Underwriter
or Fund by or on behalf of the Company for use in the
Registration Statement, prospectus, or SAI for the Fund or in
sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise
for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Fund
shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in the
Registration Statement, prospectus, SAI or sales literature for
the Contracts not supplied by
<PAGE>
14
the Underwriter or the Fund or persons under their control) or
wrongful conduct of the Fund or Underwriter or persons under
their control, with respect to the sale or distribution of the
Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement,
prospectus, SAI or sales literature covering the Contracts, or
any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statement or
statements therein not misleading, if such statement or
omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the
Company by or on behalf of the Fund or Underwriter, or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund or Underwriter to
provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms
of this Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional
or in good faith or otherwise, to comply with the
diversification and other qualification requirements specified
in Article VI of this Agreement); or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Underwriter in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material
breach of this Agreement by the Underwriter;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.2(b) and
8.2(c) hereof.
8.2(b). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or litigation to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be
subject by reason of such Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or
gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by
reason of such Indemnified Party's reckless disregard of obligations and duties
under this Agreement or to the Company or the Account, whichever is applicable.
8.2(c). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this
indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified
Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Underwriter in
writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process
giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Underwriter of
any such claim shall not relieve the Underwriter from any liability which it may
have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than
on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is
brought against the Indemnified Party, the Underwriter will be entitled to
participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Underwriter also
shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with
<PAGE>
15
counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice from the
Underwriter to such party of the Underwriter's election to assume the defense
thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by it, and the Underwriter will not be liable to
such party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently
incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense thereof
other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.2(d). The Company agrees promptly to notify the Underwriter of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers
or directors in connection with the issuance or sale of the Contracts or the
operation of the Account.
8.3 Indemnification By the Fund
---------------------------
8.3(a). The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company
and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the
Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.3) against any and all
losses, claims, expenses, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in
settlement with the written consent of the Fund) or litigation (including legal
and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may be required to pay or
may become subject under any statute or regulation, at common law or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, expenses, damages, liabilities or expenses (or
actions in respect thereof) or settlements, are related to the operations of the
Fund and:
(i) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional or in
good faith or otherwise, to comply with the diversification
and other qualification requirements specified in Article VI
of this Agreement); or
(ii) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Fund in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material
breach of this Agreement by the Fund;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.3(b) and
8.3(c) hereof.
8.3(b). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation
to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the
performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified
Party's reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to
the Company, the Fund, the Underwriter or the Account, whichever is applicable.
8.3(c). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless
such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Fund in writing within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after
<PAGE>
16
such indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any
designated agent), but failure to notify the Fund of any such claim shall not
relieve the Fund from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party
against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of this
indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought against the
Indemnified Parties, the Fund will be entitled to participate, at its own
expense, in the defense thereof. The Fund also shall be entitled to assume the
expense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action.
After notice from the Fund to such party of the Fund's election to assume the
defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by it, and the Fund will not be liable to such party
under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by
such party independently in connection with the defense thereof other than
reasonable costs of investigation.
8.3(d). The Company and the Underwriter agree promptly to notify the
Fund of the commencement of any litigation or proceeding against it or any of
its respective officers or directors in connection with the Agreement, the
issuance or sale of the Contracts, the operation of the Account, or the sale or
acquisition of share of the Fund.
ARTICLE IX. Applicable Law
--------------
9.1 This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland.
9.2 This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933, 1934
and 1940 Acts, and the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder, including
such exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the SEC may grant
(including, but not limited to, any Shared Funding Exemptive Order) and the
terms hereof shall be interpreted and construed in accordance therewith.
ARTICLE X. Termination
-----------
10.1 This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect for three
years, and for each year thereafter, unless terminated under any of the
following circumstances:
(a) termination by any party, for any reason with respect to some or
all Designated Portfolios, by six (6) months' advance written
notice delivered to the other parties; or
(b) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Designated Portfolio based upon
the Company's determination that shares of the Fund are not
reasonably available to meet the requirements of the Contracts;
or
(c) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter in the event any of the Designated Portfolio's shares
are not registered, issued or sold in accordance with applicable
state and/or federal
<PAGE>
17
law or such law precludes the use of such shares as the
underlying investment media of the Contracts issued or to be
issued by the Company; or
(d) termination by the Fund or Underwriter in the event that formal
administrative proceedings are instituted against the Company by
the NASD, the SEC, the Insurance Commissioner or like official of
any state or any other regulatory body regarding the Company's
duties under this Agreement or related to the sale of the
Contracts, the operation of any Account, or the purchase of the
Fund shares, provided, however, that the Fund determines in its
sole judgment exercised in good faith, that nay such
administrative proceedings will have a material adverse effect
upon the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under
this Agreement; or
(e) termination by the Company in the event that formal
administrative proceedings are instituted against the Fund or
Underwriter by the NASD, the SEC, or any state securities or
insurance department or any other regulatory body, provided,
however, that the Company determines in its sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that any such administrative proceedings
will have a material adverse effect upon the ability of the Fund
or Underwriter to perform its obligations under this Agreement;
or
(f) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Designated Portfolio in the event
that such Portfolio ceases to qualify as a Regulated Investment
Company under Subchapter M or fails to comply with the Section
817(h) diversification requirements specified in Article VI
hereof, or if the Company reasonably believes that such Portfolio
may fail to so qualify or comply; or
(g) termination by the Fund or Underwriter by written notice to the
Company in the event that the Contracts fail to meet the
qualifications specified in Article VI hereof, or if the Fund or
Underwriter reasonably believes that such Contracts may fail to
so qualify; or
(h) termination by either the Fund or the Underwriter by written
notice to the Company, if either one or both of the Fund or the
Underwriter respectively, shall determine, in their sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that the Company has suffered a material
adverse change in its business, operations, financial condition,
or prospects since the date of this Agreement or is the subject
of material adverse publicity; or
(i) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter, if the Company shall determine, in its sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that the Fund or the Underwriter has
suffered a material adverse change in its business, operations,
financial condition or prospects since the date of this Agreement
or is the subject of material adverse publicity; or
<PAGE>
18
(j) termination by the Fund or the Underwriter by written notice to
the Company, if the Company gives the Fund and the Underwriter
the written notice specified in Section 1.11(b) hereof and at the
time such notice was given there was no notice of termination
outstanding under any other provision of this Agreement;
provided, however, any termination under this Section 10.1(j)
shall be effective forty-five days after the notice specified in
Section 1.11(b) was given.
10.2 Effect of Termination. Notwithstanding any termination of this
Agreement, the Fund and the Underwriter shall, at the option of the Company,
continue to make available additional shares of the Fund pursuant to the terms
and conditions of this Agreement, for all Contracts in effect on the effective
date of termination of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "Existing
Contracts"). Specifically, the owners of the Existing Contracts shall be
permitted to reallocate investments in the Fund, redeem investments in the Fund
and/or invest in the Fund upon the making of additional purchase payments under
the Existing Contracts. The parties agree that this Section 10.2 shall not apply
to any terminations under Article VII and the effect of such Article VII
termination shall be governed by Article VII of this Agreement. The parties
further agree that this Section 10.2 shall not apply to any terminations under
Section 10.1(g) of this Agreement.
10.3 The Company shall not redeem Fund shares attributable to the Contracts
(as opposed to Fund shares attributable to the Company's assets held in the
Account) except (i) as necessary to implement Contract Owner initiated or
approved transactions, (ii) as required by state and/or federal laws or
regulations or judicial or other legal precedent of general application
(hereinafter referred to as a "Legally Required Redemption"), or (iii) as
permitted by an order of the SEC pursuant to Section 26(b) of the 1940 Act. Upon
request, the Company will promptly furnished to the Fund and the Underwriter the
opinion of counsel for the Company (which counsel shall be reasonably
satisfactory to the Fund and the Underwriter) to the effect that any redemption
pursuant to clause (ii) above is a Legally Required Redemption. Furthermore,
except in cases where permitted under the terms of the Contracts, the Company
shall not prevent Contract Owners from allocating payments to a Portfolio that
was otherwise available under the Contracts without first giving the Fund or the
Underwriter 90 days notice of its intention to do so.
10.4 Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, each party's
obligation under Article VIII to indemnify the other parties shall survive.
ARTICLE XI. Notices
-------
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or certified
mail to the other party at the address of such party set forth below or at such
other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing to the
other party.
<PAGE>
19
If to the Fund:
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
100 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Attention: Henry H. Hopkins, Esq.
If to the Company:
Providian Corporation
400 West Market Street
P.O. Box 32830
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Attention: John P. Fendig
Copy to:
Marketing Director
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
520 Columbia Drive
Johnson City, New York 13790
If to Underwriter:
T. Rowe Price Investment Services
100 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Attention: Henry H. Hopkins, Esq.
ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous
-------------
12.1 All references herein to the "Fund" are to each of the undersigned
Funds individually, as if this Agreement were between such individual Fund and
the Underwriter and the Company. All references herein to the "Adviser" relate
solely to the Adviser of such individual Fund, as appropriate. All persons
dealing with a Fund must look solely to the property of such Fund, and in the
case of a series company, the respective Designated Portfolios listed on
Schedule A hereto as though each such Designated Portfolio had separately
contracted with the Company and the Underwriter for the enforcement of any
claims against the Fund. The parties agree that neither the Board, officers,
agents or shareholders assume any personal liability or responsibility for
obligations entered into by or on behalf of the Fund.
<PAGE>
20
12.2 Subject to the requirements of legal process and regulatory authority,
each party hereto shall treat as confidential the names and addresses of the
owners of the Contracts and all information reasonably identified as
confidential in writing by any other party hereto and, except as permitted by
this Agreement, shall not disclose, disseminate or utilize such names and
addresses and other confidential information without the express written consent
of the affected party until such time as such information may come into the
public domain.
12.3 The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or
otherwise affect their construction or effect.
12.4 This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more
counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
12.5 If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a
court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement shall
not be affected thereby.
12.6 Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party and all
appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation the SEC, the
NASD, and state insurance regulators) and shall permit such authorities
reasonable access to its books and records in connection with any investigation
or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, each party hereto further
agrees to furnish the New York Insurance Commissioner with any information or
reports in connection with services provided under this Agreement which such
Commissioner may request in order to ascertain whether the variable annuity
operations of the Company are being conducted in a manner consistent with the
New York variable annuity laws and regulations and any other applicable law or
regulations.
12.7 The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement are
cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies, and obligations,
at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to under state and
federal laws.
12.8 This Agreement or any of the rights and obligations hereunder may not
be assigned by any party without the prior written consent of all parties
hereto.
12.9 The Company shall furnish or shall cause to be furnished, to the Fund
or its designee copies of the following reports:
(a) the Company's annual statement (prepared under statutory
accounting principles) and annual report (prepared under
generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), if any), as
soon as practical and in any event within 90 days after the end
of each fiscal year;
(b) the Company's quarterly statements (statutory) (and GAAP, if
any), as soon as practical and in any event within 45 days after
the end of each quarterly period;
<PAGE>
21
(c) any financial statement, proxy statement, notice or report of the
Company sent to stockholders and/or policyholders, as soon as
practical after the delivery thereof to stockholders and/or
policyholders;
(d) any other report submitted to the Company by independent
accountants in connection with any annual, interim or special
audit made by them of the books of the Company, as soon as
practical after the receipt thereof, but only if such report is
not confidential.
<PAGE>
22
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 representative
and its seal to be hereunder affixed hereto as of the date specified below.
COMPANY: FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
By its authorized officer
By: /s/ Jeffrey P. Lammers
-----------------------------------
Title: Senior Vice President
--------------------------------
Date: 9/27/96
---------------------------------
FUND: T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL SERIES, INC.
By its authorized officer
By: /s/ Henry H. Hopkins
-----------------------------------
Title: Vice President
--------------------------------
Date: December 3, 1996
---------------------------------
<PAGE>
23
FUND: T. ROWE PRICE EQUITY SERIES, INC.
By its authorized officer
By: /s/
-----------------------------------
Title: Vice President
--------------------------------
Date: December 3, 1996
---------------------------------
UNDERWRITER: T. ROWE PRICE INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.
By its authorized officer
By: /s/ Nancy M. Morris
-----------------------------------
Title: Vice President
--------------------------------
Date: December 3, 1996
---------------------------------
<PAGE>
24
SCHEDULE A
----------
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
Name of Separate Account and Contracts Funded by
Date Established by Board of Directors Separate Account Designated Portfolios
- - -------------------------------------- ------------------- ----------------------------------------
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Providian Marquee T. Rowe Price International Series, Inc.
- T. Rowe Price International
Stock Portfolio
Company Separate Account C
Established November 4, 1994 T. Rowe Price Equity Series, Inc.
- T. Rowe Price Equity Income Portfolio
- T. Rowe Price New America Growth
Portfolio
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
25
SCHEDULE B
Other investment companies currently available under variable annuities issued
by Marquee Subaccounts of First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
Separate Account C:
Fidelity Money Market Portfolio
Fidelity Asset Manager Portfolio
Fidelity Equity Income Portfolio
Fidelity Growth Portfolio
Dreyfus Quality Bond Portfolio
Dreyfus Growth and Income Portfolio
Quest for Value Managed Portfolio
Quest for Value Small Cap Portfolio
Quest for Value U.S. Government Income Portfolio
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 8(d)
FUND PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
----------------------------
This Agreement is entered into as of the 15th day of November, 1996, between
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company ("Insurance Company"), a life
insurance company organized under the laws of the State of New York, and DREYFUS
VARIABLE INVESTMENT FUND ("Fund"), an unincorporated business trust organized
under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
1.1 "Act" shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.,
1.2 "Board" shall mean the Board of Trustees of the Fund having the
responsibility for management and control of the Fund.
1.3 "Business Day" shall mean any day for which the Fund calculates net asset
value per share as described in the Fund's Prospectus.
1.4 "Commission" shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
1.5 "Contract" shall mean a variable annuity contract that uses the Fund as an
underlying investment medium. Individuals who participate under a group
Contract are "Participants".
1.6 "Contractholder" shall mean any entity that is a party to a Contract with
a Participating Company.
1.7 "Disinterested Board Members" shall mean those members of the Board that
are not deemed to be "interested persons" of the Fund, as defined by the
Act.
1.8 "Dreyfus" shall mean The Dreyfus Corporation and its affiliates.
1.9 "Participating Companies" shall mean any insurance company (including
Insurance Company), which offers variable annuity and/or variable life
insurance contracts to the public and which has entered into an agreement
with the Fund for the purpose of making Fund shares available to serve as
the underlying investment medium for the aforesaid Contracts.
1.10 "Prospectus" shall mean the Fund's current prospectus and statement of
additional information, as most recently filed with the Commission.
<PAGE>
1.11 "Separate Account" shall mean First Providian Life and Health Insurance
Company Separate Account C or designated subaccounts thereof, a separate
account established by Insurance Company in accordance with the laws of
the State of New York.
1.12 "Software Program" shall mean the software program used by the Fund for
providing Fund and account balance information including net asset value
per share. Such Program may include the Lion System. In situations where
the Lion System or any other Software Program used by the Fund is not
available, such information may be provided by telephone. The Lion System
shall be provided to Insurance Company at no charge.
1.13 Insurance Company's General Account(s)" shall mean the general account(s)
of Insurance Company and its affiliates which invest in the Fund.
ARTICLE II
REPRESENTATIONS
2.1 Insurance Company represents and warrants that (a) it is an insurance
company duly organized and in good standing under applicable law; (b) it
has legally and validly established the Separate Account pursuant to the
laws of the State of New York for the purpose of offering to the public
certain individual variable annuity contracts; (c) it has registered the
Separate Account as a unit investment trust under the Act to serve as the
segregated investment account for the Contracts; and (d) each Separate
Account is eligible to invest in shares of the Fund without such investment
disqualifying the Fund as an investment medium for insurance company
separate accounts supporting variable annuity contracts or variable life
insurance contracts.
2.2 Insurance Company represents and warrants that (a) the Contracts will be
described in a registration statement filed under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (111933 Act"); (b) the Contracts will be issued and sold
in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and
state laws; and (c) the sale of the Contracts shall comply in all material
respects with state insurance law requirements. Insurance Company agrees
to inform the Fund promptly of any investment restrictions imposed by state
insurance law and applicable to the Fund.
2.3 Insurance Company represents and warrants that the income, gains and
losses, whether or not realized, from assets allocated to the Separate
Account are, in accordance with the applicable Contracts, to be credited to
or charged
-2-
<PAGE>
against such Separate Account without regard to other income, gains, or
losses from assets allocated to any other accounts of Insurance Company.
Insurance Company represents and warrants that the assets of the Separate
Account are and will be kept separate from Insurance Company's General
Account and any other separate accounts Insurance Company may have, and
will not be charged with liabilities from any business that Insurance
Company may conduct or the liabilities of any companies affiliated with
Insurance Company.
2.4 Fund represents that the Fund is registered with the Commission under the
Act as an open-end, management investment company and possesses, and shall
maintain, all legal and regulatory licenses, approvals, consents and/or
exemptions required for Fund to operate and offer its shares as an
underlying investment medium for Participating Companies. The Fund has
established eight series of shares (each, a "Series") and may in the future
establish other series of shares.
2.5 Fund represents that it is currently qualified as a Regulated Investment
Company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the "Code"), and that it will make every effort to maintain such
qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar provision)
and that it will notify Insurance Company immediately upon having a
reasonable basis for believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it
might not so qualify in the future.
2.6 Insurance Company represents and agrees that the Contracts are currently,
and at the time of issuance will be, treated as life insurance policies or
annuity contracts, whichever is appropriate, under applicable provisions of
the Code, and that it will make every effort to maintain such treatment and
that it will notify the Fund and Dreyfus immediately upon having a
reasonable basis for believing that the Contracts have ceased to be so
treated or that they might not be so treated in the future. Insurance
Company agrees that any prospectus offering a Contract that is a "modified
endowment contract," as that term is defined in Section 7702A of the Code,
will identify such Contract as a modified endowment contract (or policy).
2.7 Fund agrees that the Fund's assets shall be managed and invested in a
manner that complies with the requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code.
2.8 Insurance Company agrees that the Fund shall be permitted (subject to the
other terms of this Agreement) to make
-3-
<PAGE>
Series' shares available to other Participating Companies and
contractholders.
2.9 Fund represents and warrants that any of its trustees, officers,
employees, investment advisers, and other individuals/entities who deal
with the money and/or securities of the Fund are and shall continue to be
at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage for
the benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than that required by Rule
17g-1 under the Act. The aforesaid Bond shall include coverage for
larceny-and embezzlement and shall be issued by a reputable bonding
company.
2.10 Insurance Company represents and warrants that all of its employees and
agents who deal with the money and/or securities of the Fund are and shall
continue to be at all times cove red by a blanket fidelity bond or similar
coverage in an amount not less than the coverage required to be maintained
by the Fund. The aforesaid Bond shall include coverage for larceny and
embezzlement and shall be issued by a reputable bonding company.
2.11 Insurance Company agrees that Dreyfus shall be deemed a third party
beneficiary under this Agreement and may enforce any and all rights
conferred by virtue of this Agreement.
ARTICLE III
FUND SHARES
3.1 The Contracts funded through the Separate Account will provide for the
investment of certain amounts in the Series' shares.
3.2 Fund agrees to make the shares of its Series available for purchase at the
then applicable net asset value per share by Insurance Company and the
Separate Account on each Business Day pursuant to rules of the Commission.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fund may refuse to sell the shares of
any Series to any person, or suspend or terminate the offering of the
shares of any Series if such action is required by law or by regulatory
authorities having jurisdiction or is, in the sole discretion of the Board,
acting in good faith and in light of its fiduciary duties under federal and
any applicable state laws, necessary and in the best interests of the
shareholders of such Series.
3.3 Fund agrees that shares of the Fund will be sold only to Participating
Companies and their separate accounts and to the general accounts of those
Participating Companies and their affiliates. No shares of any Series will
be sold to the general public.
-4-
<PAGE>
3.4 Fund shall use its best efforts to provide closing net asset value,
dividend and capital gain information for each Series available on a per-
share and Series basis to Insurance Company by 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
each Business Day by facsimile or other electronic means as agreed upon by
both parties. Any material errors in the calculation of net asset value,
dividend and capital gain information shall be reported immediately upon
discovery to Insurance Company. Non-material errors will be corrected in
the next Business Day's net asset value per share for the Series in
question.
3.5 At the end of each Business Day, Insurance Company will use the
information described in Sections 3.2 and 3.4 to calculate the Separate
Account unit values for the day. Using this unit value, Insurance Company
will process the day's Separate Account transactions received by it by the
close of trading on the-floor of the New York Stock Exchange (currently
4:00 p.m. Eastern time)-to determine the net dollar amount of Series shares
which will be purchased or redeemed at that day's closing net asset value
per share for such Series. The net purchase or redemption orders will be
transmitted to the Fund by Insurance Company by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on
the Business Day next following Insurance Company's receipt of that
information. Subject to Sections 3.6 and 3.8, all purchase and redemption
orders for Insurance Company's General Accounts shall be effected at the
net asset value per share of the relevant Series next calculated after
receipt of the order by the Fund or its Transfer Agent.
3.6 Fund appoints Insurance Company as its agent for the limited purpose of
accepting orders for the purchase and redemption of shares of each Series
for the Separate Account. Fund will execute orders for any Series at the
applicable net asset value per share determined as of the close of trading
on the day of receipt of such orders by Insurance Company acting as agent
("effective trade date"), provided that the Fund receives notice of such
orders by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the next following Business Day and,
if such orders request the purchase of Series shares, the conditions
specified in Section 3.8, as applicable, are satisfied. A redemption or
purchase request for any Series that does not satisfy the conditions
specified above and in Section 3.8, as applicable, will be effected at the
net asset value computed for such Series on the Business Day immediately
preceding the next following Business Day upon which such conditions have
been satisfied.
3.7 Insurance Company will make its best efforts to notify Fund in advance of
any unusually large purchase or redemption orders.
-5-
<PAGE>
3.8 If Insurance Company's order requests the purchase of Series shares,
Insurance Company will pay for such purchases by wiring Federal Funds to
Fund or its designated custodial account on the day the order is
transmitted. Insurance Company shall make all reasonable efforts to
initiate such wire by 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the Business Day the Fund
receives the notice of the order pursuant to Section 3.5. Fund will execute
such orders at the applicable net asset value per share determined as of
the close of trading on the effective trade date if Fund receives payment
in Federal Funds by 12:00 midnight Eastern Time on the Business Day the
Fund receives the notice of the order pursuant to Section 3.5. With respect
to purchases of Money Market Portfolio shares, if applicable, if payment in
Federal Funds for any purchase is not received or is received by the Fund
after 12:00 noon Eastern Time on such Business Day, Insurance Company shall
promptly, upon the Fund's request, reimburse the Fund for any charges,
costs, fees, interest or other expenses incurred by the Fund in connection
with any advances to, or borrowings or overdrafts by, the Fund, or any
similar expenses incurred by the Fund, as a result of portfolio
transactions effected by the Fund based upon such purchase request. Fund
will use its best efforts to transmit to Insurance Company the proceeds of
all redemption orders placed by Insurance Company, by the close of business
on the next Business Day following the effective trade date by wire
transfer. Should Fund need to extend the settlement on a trade, it will
immediately contact Insurance Company to discuss such extension. The above
notwithstanding, if Insurance Company's order requests the redemption of a
single Series' shares valued at or greater than $1 million dollars and such
redemption would require the Series to dispose of portfolio securities or
otherwise incur additional costs, the Fund will wire such amount to
Insurance Company within seven calendar days of the order and will
immediately notify Insurance Company of such delay.
3.9 Fund has the obligation to ensure that Series shares are registered with
applicable federal agencies at all times.
3.10 Fund will confirm by facsimile or other agreed upon electronic means each
purchase or redemption order made by Insurance Company. Transfer of
Series shares will be by book entry only. No share certificates will be
issued to Insurance Company. Insurance Company will record shares ordered
from Fund in an appropriate title for the corresponding account.
3.11 Fund shall credit Insurance Company with the appropriate number of shares.
-6-
<PAGE>
3.12 on each ex-dividend date of the Fund or, if not a Business Day, on the
first Business Day thereafter, Fund shall communicate, by facsimile or
other agreed upon electronic means, to Insurance Company the amount of
dividend and capital gain, if any, per share of each Series. All
dividends and capital gains of any Series shall be automatically
reinvested in additional shares of the relevant Series at the applicable
net asset value per share of such Series on the payable date. - Fund
shall, on the day after the payable date or, if not a Business Day, on the
first Business Day thereafter, notify Insurance Company of the number of
shares so issued.
ARTICLE IV
STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
4.1 Fund shall provide monthly statements of account as of the end of each
month for all of Insurance Company's accounts by the fifteenth (15th)
Business Day of the following month and at year-end shall provide an annual
statement providing year-end information.
4.2 Fund shall distribute to Insurance Company copies of the Fund's
Prospectuses, proxy materials, notices, periodic reports and other printed
materials (which the Fund customarily provides to its shareholders) in
quantities as Insurance Company may reasonably request for distribution to
each Contractholder and Participant.
4.3 Fund will provide to Insurance Company at least one complete copy of all
registration statement, Prospectuses, reports, proxy statements, sales
literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions,
requests for noaction letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that
relate to the Fund or its shares, contemporaneously with the filing of such
document with the Commission or other regulatory authorities.
4.4 Insurance Company will provide to the Fund at least one copy of all
registration statements, Prospectuses, reports, proxy statements, sales
literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions,
requests for noaction letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that
relate to the Contracts or the Separate Account, contemporaneously with the
filing of such document with the Commission.
-7-
<PAGE>
ARTICLE V
EXPENSES
5.1 The charge to the Fund for all expenses and costs of the Series, including
but not limited to management fees, administrative expenses and legal and
regulatory costs, will be made in the determination of the relevant Series'
daily net asset value per share so as to accumulate to an annual charge at
the rate set forth in the Fund's Prospectus. Excluded from the expense
limitation described herein shall be brokerage commissions and transaction
fees and extraordinary expenses.
5.2 Except as provided in this Article V and, in particular in the next
sentence, Insurance Company shall not be required to pay directly any
expenses of the Fund or expenses relating to the distribution of its
shares. Insurance Company shall pay the following expenses or costs:
a. Such amount of the production expenses of any Fund materials,
including the cost of printing the Fund's Prospectus, or marketing
materials for prospective Insurance Company Contractholders and
Participants as Dreyfus and Insurance Company shall agree from time to
time.
b. Distribution expenses of any Fund materials or marketing materials for
prospective Insurance Company Contractholders and Participants.
C. Distribution expenses of Fund materials or marketing materials for
Insurance Company Contractholders and Participants.
Except as provided herein, all other Fund expenses shall not be borne by
Insurance Company.
ARTICLE VI
EXEMPTIVE RELIEF
6.1 Insurance Company has reviewed a copy of the order dated December 23, 1987
of the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 6(c) of the Act
and, in particular, has reviewed the conditions to the relief set forth in
the related Notice. As set forth therein, Insurance Company agrees to
report any potential or existing conflicts promptly to the Board, and in
particular whenever contract voting instructions are disregarded, and
recognizes that it will be responsible for assisting the Board in carrying
out its responsibilities under such application. Insurance
-8-
<PAGE>
Company agrees to carry out such responsibilities with a view to the
interests of existing Contractholders.
6.2 If a majority of the Board, or a majority of Disinterested Board Members,
determines that a material irreconcilable conflict exists with regard to
Contractholder investments in the Fund, the Board shall give prompt notice
to all Participating Companies. If the Board determines that Insurance
Company is responsible for causing or creating said conflict, Insurance
Company shall at its sole cost and expense, and to the extent reasonably
practicable (as determined by a majority of the Disinterested Board
Members), take such action as is necessary to remedy or eliminate the
irreconcilable material conflict. Such necessary action may include, but
shall not be limited to:
a. Withdrawing the assets allocable to the Separate Account from the
Series and reinvesting such assets in a different investment medium,
or submitting the question of whether such segregation should be
implemented to a vote of all affected Contractholders and, as
appropriate, segregating the assets of any Contractholders that vote
in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected
Contractholders the option of making such a change; and/or
b. Establishing a new registered management investment company.
6.3 If a material irreconcilable conflict arises as a result of a decision by
Insurance Company to disregard Contractholder voting instructions and said
decision represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote
by all Contractholders having an interest in the Fund, Insurance Company
may be required, at the Board's election, to withdraw the Separate
Account's investment in the Fund and no charge or penalty will be imposed
as a result of such withdrawal.
6.4 For the purpose of this Article, a majority of the Disinterested Board
Members shall determine whether or not any proposed action adequately
remedies any irreconcilable material conflict, but in no event will the
Fund be required to bear the expense of establishing a new funding medium
for any Contract. Insurance Company shall not be required by this Article
to establish a new funding medium for any Contract if an offer to do so has
been declined by vote of a majority of the Contractholders materially
adversely affected by the irreconcilable material conflict.
6.5 No action by Insurance Company taken or omitted, and no action by the
Separate Account or the Fund taken or omitted
-9-
<PAGE>
as a result of any act or failure to act by Insurance Company pursuant to
this Article VI shall relieve Insurance Company of its obligations under,
or otherwise affect the operation of, Article V.
ARTICLE VII
VOTING OF FUND SHARES
7.1 Fund shall provide Insurance Company with copies at no cost to Insurance
Company, of the Fund's proxy material, reports to shareholders and other
communications to shareholders in such quantity as Insurance Company shall
reasonably require for distributing to Contractholders or Participants; and
Fund shall provide Insurance Company with five (5) Business Days notice of
the existence of such materials prior to their receipt by Insurance
Company.
Insurance Company shall:
(a) solicit voting instructions from Contractholders or Participants on a
timely basis and in accordance with applicable law;
(b) vote the Series shares in accordance with instructions received from
Contractholders or Participants; and
(c) vote Series shares for which no instructions have been received in the
same proportion as Series shares for which instructions have been
received.
Insurance Company agrees at all times to vote its General Account shares in
the same proportion as Series shares for which instructions have been
received from Contractholders or Participants. Insurance Company further
agrees to be responsible for assuring that voting Fund shares for the
Separate Account is conducted in a manner consistent with the Fund's
current exemptive relief.
7.2 Insurance Company agrees that it shall not, without the prior written
consent of the Fund and Dreyfus, solicit, induce or encourage
Contractholders to (a) change or supplement the Fund's current investment
adviser or (b) change, modify, substitute, add to or delete the Fund from
the current investment media for the Contracts.
-10-
<PAGE>
ARTICLE VIII
MARKETING AND REPRESENTATIONS
8.1 The Fund or its underwriter shall periodically furnish Insurance Company
with the following documents, in quantities as Insurance Company may
reasonably request:
a. Current Prospectus and any supplements thereto;
b. other marketing materials.
Expenses for the production of such documents shall be borne by Insurance
Company in accordance with Section 5.2 of this Agreement.
8.2 Insurance Company shall designate certain persons or entities which shall
have the requisite licenses to solicit applications for the sale of
Contracts. No representation is made as to the number or amount of
Contracts that are to be sold by Insurance Company. Insurance Company
shall make reasonable efforts to market the Contracts and shall comply with
all applicable federal and state laws in connection therewith.
8.3 Insurance Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the
Fund, each piece of sales literature or other promotional material in which
the Fund, its investment adviser or the administrator is named, at least
six (6) Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall be used
unless the Fund approves such material. Such approval (if given) must be
in writing and shall be presumed not given if not received within ten
Business Days after receipt of such material. The Fund shall use all
reasonable efforts to respond within ten days of receipt.
8.4 Insurance Company shall not give any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund
or any Series in connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the
information or representations contained in the registration statement or
Prospectus, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, or in
reports or proxy statements for the Fund, or in sales literature or other
promotional material approved by the Fund.
8.5 Fund shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to Insurance Company,
each piece of the Fund's sales literature or other promotional material in
which Insurance Company or the Separate Account is named, at least fifteen
Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall be used unless
Insurance Company approves such material. Such approval (if given) must be
in writing and shall be presumed
-11-
<PAGE>
not given if not received within ten Business Days after receipt of such
material. Insurance Company shall use all reasonable efforts to respond
within ten days of receipt.
8.6 Fund shall not, in connection with the sale of Series shares, give any
information or make any representations on behalf of Insurance Company or
concerning Insurance Company,, the Separate Account, or the Contracts other
than the information or representations contained in a registration
statement or prospectus for the Contracts, as may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, or in published reports for the Separate
Account which are in the public domain or approved by Insurance Company for
distribution to Contractholders or Participants, or in sales literature or
other promotional material approved by Insurance Company.
8.7 For purposes of this Agreement, the phrase "sales literature or other
promotional material" or words of similar import include, without
limitation, advertisements (such as material published, or designed for
use, in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical, radio, television,
telephone or tape recording, videotape display, signs or billboards, motion
pictures or other public media), sales literature (such as any written
communication distributed or made generally available to customers or the
public, including brochures, circulars, research reports, market letters,
form letters, seminar texts, or reprints or excerpts of any other
advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or
training materials or other communications distributed or made generally
available to some or all agents or employees, registration statements,
prospectuses, statements of additional information, shareholder reports and
proxy materials, and any other material constituting sales literature or
advertising under National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. rules,
the Act or the 1933 Act.
ARTICLE IX
INDEMNIFICATION
9.1 Insurance Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund, Dreyfus,
any sub-investment adviser of a Series, and their affiliates, and each of
their directors, trustees, officers, employees, agents and each person, if
any, who controls or is associated with any of the foregoing entities or
persons within the meaning of the 1933 Act (collectively, the "Indemnified
Parties" for purposes of Section 9.1), against any and all losses, claims,
damages or liabilities joint or several (including any investigative, legal
and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amounts
paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim
asserted) for which the Indemnified
-12-
<PAGE>
Parties may become subject, under the 1933 Act or otherwise, insofar as
such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect to
thereof) (i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of any material fact contained in information furnished by
Insurance Company for use in the registration statement or Prospectus or
sales literature or advertisements of the Fund or with respect to the
Separate Account or Contracts, or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading; (ii) arise out of or as a result of conduct, statements or
representations (other than statements or representations contained in the
Prospectus and sales literature or advertisements of the Fund) of Insurance
Company or its agents, with respect to the sale and distribution of
Contracts for which Series' shares are an underlying- investment; (iii)
arise out of the wrongful conduct of Insurance Company or persons under its
control with respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or
Series' shares; (iv) arise out of Insurance Company's incorrect calculation
and/or untimely reporting of net purchase or redemption orders; or (v)
arise out of any breach by Insurance Company of a material term of this
Agreement or as a result of any failure by Insurance Company to provide the
services and furnish the materials or to make any payments provided for in
this Agreement. Insurance Company will reimburse any Indemnified Party in
connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage,
liability or action; provided, however, that with respect to clauses (i)
and (ii) above Insurance Company will not be liable in any such case to the
extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is
based upon any untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in
such registration statement, prospectus, sales literature, or advertisement
in conformity with written information furnished to Insurance Company by
the Fund specifically for use therein. This indemnity agreement will be in
addition to any liability which Insurance Company may otherwise have.
9.2 The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Insurance Company and each
of its directors, officers, employees, agents and each person, if any, who
controls Insurance Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act against any
losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which Insurance Company or any
such director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person may become
subject, under the 1933 Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (1) arise out of or
are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any
material fact contained in the registration
-13-
<PAGE>
statement or Prospectus or sales literature or advertisements of the Fund;
(2) arise out of or are based upon the omission to state in the
registration statement or Prospectus or sales literature or advertisements
of the Fund any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading; or (3) arise out of or are
based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material
fact contained in the registration statement or Prospectus or sales
literature or advertisements with respect to the Separate Account or the
Contracts and such statements were based on information provided to
Insurance Company by the Fund; and the Fund will reimburse any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by Insurance Company or any such
director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person in connection with
investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or
action; provided, however, that the Fund will not be liable in any such
case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises
out of or is based upon an untrue statement or omission or alleged omission
made in such Registration Statement, Prospectus, sales literature or
advertisements in conformity with written information furnished to the Fund
by Insurance Company specifically for use therein. This indemnity
agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Fund may otherwise
have.
9.3 The Fund shall indemnify and hold Insurance Company harmless against any
and all liability, loss, damages, costs or expenses which Insurance Company
may incur, suffer or be required to pay due to the Fund's (1) incorrect
calculation of the daily net asset value, dividend rate or capital gain
distribution rate of a Series; (2) incorrect reporting of the daily net
asset value, dividend rate or capital gain distribution rate; and (3)
untimely reporting of the net asset value, dividend rate or capital gain
distribution rate; provided that the Fund shall have no obligation to
indemnify and hold harmless Insurance Company if the incorrect calculation
or incorrect or untimely reporting was the result of incorrect information
furnished by Insurance company or information furnished untimely by
Insurance Company or otherwise as a result of or relating to a breach of
this Agreement by Insurance Company.
9.4 Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Article of notice
of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim
in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this
Article, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof. The
omission to so notify the indemnifying party will not relieve the
indemnifying party from any liability under this Article IX, except to the
extent that the omission results in a failure of actual notice to the
indemnifying party and
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<PAGE>
such indemnifying party is damaged solely as a result of the failure to
give such notice. In case any such action is brought against any
indemnified party, and it notified the indemnifying party of the
commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to
participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, assume the defense
thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party, and to the
extent that the indemnifying party has given notice to such effect to the
indemnified party and is performing its obligations under this Article, the
indemnifying party shall not be liable for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the
defense thereof, other than reasonable costs of investigation.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in any such proceeding, any indemnified
party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and
expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party
unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have
mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties
to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the
indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both
parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or
potential differing interests between them. The indemnifying party shall
not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its
written consent.
A successor by law of the parties to this Agreement shall be entitled to
the benefits of the indemnification contained in this Article IX.
9.5 Insurance Company shall indemnify and hold the Fund, Dreyfus and any sub-
investment adviser of a Series harmless against any tax liability incurred
by the Fund under Section 851 of the Code arising from purchases or
redemptions by Insurance Company's General Accounts or the account of its
affiliates.
ARTICLE X
COMMENCEMENT AND TERMINATION
10.1 This Agreement shall be effective as of the date hereof and shall continue
in force until terminated in accordance with the provisions herein.
10.2 This Agreement shall terminate without penalty as to one or more Series at
the option of the terminating party:
a. At the option of Insurance Company or the Fund at any time from the
date hereof upon 180 days' notice, unless a shorter time is agreed to
by the parties;
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<PAGE>
b. At the option of Insurance Company, if shares of any Series are not
reasonably available to meet the requirements of the Contracts as
determined by Insurance Company. Prompt notice of election to
terminate shall be furnished by Insurance Company, said termination to
be effective ten days after receipt of notice unless the Fund makes
available a sufficient number of shares to meet the requirements of
the Contracts within said ten-day period;
c. At the option of Insurance Company, upon the institution of formal
proceedings against the Fund by the Commission, National Association
of securities Dealers or any other regulatory body, the expected or
anticipated ruling, judgment or outcome of which would, in Insurance
Company's reasonable judgment, materially impair- the Fund's ability
to meet and perform the Fund's obligations and duties hereunder.
Prompt notice of election to terminate shall be furnished by Insurance
Company with said termination to be effective upon receipt of notice;
d. At the option of the Fund, upon the institution of formal proceedings
against Insurance Company by the Commission, National Association of
Securities Dealers or any insurance regulatory body, the expected or
anticipated ruling, judgment or outcome of which would, in the Fund's
reasonable judgment, materially impair Insurance Company's ability to
meet and perform Insurance Company's obligations and duties hereunder.
Prompt notice of election to terminate shall be furnished by the Fund
with said termination to be effective upon receipt of notice;
e. At the option of the Fund, if the Fund shall determine, in its sole
judgment reasonably exercised in good faith, that Insurance Company
has suffered a material adverse change in its business or financial
condition or is the subject of material adverse publicity and such
material adverse change or material adverse publicity is likely to
have a material adverse impact upon the business and operation of the
Fund or Dreyfus, the Fund shall notify Insurance Company in writing of
such determination and its intent to terminate this Agreement, and
after considering the actions taken by Insurance Company and any other
changes in circumstances since the giving of such notice, such
determination of the Fund shall continue to apply on the sixtieth
(60th) day following the giving of such notice, which sixtieth day
shall be the effective date of termination;
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<PAGE>
f. Upon termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Fund
and Dreyfus or its successors unless Insurance Company specifically
approves the selection of a new Fund investment adviser. The Fund
shall promptly furnish notice of such termination to Insurance
Company;
g. In the event the Fund's shares are not registered, issued or sold in
accordance with applicable federal law, or such law precludes the use
of such shares as the underlying investment medium of Contracts issued
or to be issued by Insurance Company. Termination shall be effective
immediately upon such occurrence without notice;
h. At the option of the Fund upon a determination by the Board in good
faith that it is no longer advisable and in the best interests of
shareholders for the Fund to continue to operate pursuant to this
Agreement. Termination pursuant to this Subsection (h) shall be
effective upon notice by the Fund to Insurance Company of such
termination;
i. At the option of the Fund if the Contracts cease to qualify as annuity
contracts or life insurance policies, as applicable, under the Code,
or if the Fund reasonably believes that the Contracts may fail to so
qualify;
j. At the option of either party to this Agreement, upon another party's
breach of any material provision of this Agreement;
k. At the option of the Fund, if the Contracts are not registered, issued
or sold in accordance with applicable federal and/or state law; or
l. Upon assignment of this Agreement, unless made with the written
consent of the non-assigning party.
Any such termination pursuant to Section 10.2a, 10.2d, 10.2e, 10.2f or
10.2k herein shall not affect the operation of Article V of this Agreement.
Any termination of this not affect the operation of Article IX of this
Agreement.
10.3 Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement pursuant hereof, the Fund
and Dreyfus may, at the option of the Fund, continue to make available this
additional Series shares for so long as the Fund desires pursuant to the
terms and conditions of Agreement as provided below, for all Contracts in
effect on the effective date of
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<PAGE>
termination of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "Existing
Contracts"). Specifically, without limitation, if the Fund or Dreyfus so
elects to make additional Series shares available, the owners of the
Existing Contracts or Insurance Company, whichever shall have legal
authority to do so, shall be permitted to reallocate investments in the
Series, redeem investments in the Fund and/or invest in the Fund upon the
making of additional purchase payments under the Existing Contracts. In
the event of a termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 10.2
hereof, the Fund and Dreyfus, as promptly as is practicable under the
circumstances, shall notify Insurance Company whether Dreyfus and the Fund
will continue to make Series shares available after such termination. If
Series shares continue to be made available after such termination, the
provisions of this Agreement shall remain in effect and thereafter either
the Fund or Insurance Company may terminate the Agreement, as so continued
pursuant to this Section 10.3, upon prior written notice to the other
party, such notice to be for a period that is reasonable under the
circumstances but, if given by the Fund, need not be for more than six
months.
ARTICLE XI
AMENDMENTS
11.1 Any other changes in the terms of this Agreement shall be made by agreement
in writing between Insurance Company and Fund.
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<PAGE>
ARTICLE XII
NOTICE
12.1 Each notice required by this Agreement shall be given by certified mail,
return receipt requested, to the appropriate parties at the following
addresses:
Insurance Company: First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
400 West Market Street
P.O. Box 32830
Louisville, Kentucky 40232
Attn: Bill Tomlin
with copies to: Marketing Director
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
520 Columbia Drive
Johnson City, New York 13790
Fund: Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund
c/o Premier Mutual Fund Services, Inc.
200 Park Avenue,
6th Floor West
New York, New York 10166
Attn: Eric B.-Fischman, Esq.
with copies to: The Dreyfus Corporation
200 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10166
Attn: Mark N. Jacobs, Esq.
Lawrence B. Stoller, Esq.
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan
7 Hanover Square
New York, New York 10004-2696
Attn: Lewis G. Cole, Esq.
Stuart H. Coleman, Esq.
Notice shall be deemed to be given on the date of receipt by the addresses
as evidenced by the return receipt.
ARTICLE XIII
MISCELLANEOUS
12.2 This Agreement has been executed on behalf of the Fund by the undersigned
officer of the Fund in his capacity as an officer of the Fund. The
obligations of this Agreement shall only be binding upon the assets and
property of the Fund and shall not be binding upon any Trustee, officer or
shareholder of the Fund individually.
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<PAGE>
ARTICLE XIV
LAW
13.1 This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the internal laws of
the State of New York, without giving effect to principles of conflict of
laws.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement to be duly
executed and attested as of the date first above written.
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH
INSURANCE COMPANY
By: /s/ ??????????
-----------------------------
Its: Senior Vice President
----------------------------
Attest: /s/ Melody L. Hulse
------------------------
DREYFUS VARIABLE INVESTMENT FUND
By: /s/ Eric B. Fischman
-----------------------------
Eric B. Fischman
Vice President and Assistant
Secretary
Attest: /s/ ??????????
------------------------
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SCHEDULE 1
Name of Series:
- - ---------------
Growth and Income Portfolio
Quality Bond Portfolio
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<PAGE>
Exhibit 8(e)
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
-----------------------
By and Among
OCC ACCUMULATION TRUST
----------------------
And
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY
-------------------------------------------------
And
OCC DISTRIBUTORS
----------------
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into this 1st day of November, 1996,
by, and among FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY, a New York
Corporation (hereinafter the "Company"), on its own behalf and on behalf of each
separate account of the Company named in Schedule 1 to this Agreement, as may be
amended from time to time (each account referred to as the "Account"), OCC
ACCUMULATION TRUST (formerly known. as Quest for Value Accumulation Trust), an
open-end diversified management investment company organized under the laws of
the State of Massachusetts (hereinafter the "Fund") and OCC DISTRIBUTORS
(formerly known as Quest for Value Distributors), a Delaware general partnership
(hereinafter the "Underwriter"').
WHEREAS, the Fund engages in business as an open-end diversified,
management investment corn any and was established for the purpose of serving as
the investment vehicle for separate accounts established for variable life
insurance contracts and variable annuity contracts to be offered by insurance
companies which have entered into participation agreements substantially
identical to this Agreement (hereinafter "Participating Insurance Companies");
and
<PAGE>
WHEREAS, beneficial interests in the Fund are divided into several series
of shares, each representing the interest in a particular managed portfolio of
securities and other assets (the "Portfolios"); and
WHEREAS, the Fund has obtained an order from the Securities & Exchange
Commission (alternatively referred to as the "SEC" or the "Commission"), dated
February 22, 1995 (File No. 812-9290), granting Participating Insurance
Companies and variable annuity separate accounts and variable life insurance
separate accounts relief from the provisions of Sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a), and
15(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (hereinafter the " 1940
Act") and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15) thereunder, to the extent
necessary to permit shares of the Fund to be sold to and held by variable
annuity separate accounts and variable life insurance separate accounts of both
affiliated and unaffiliated Participating Insurance Companies and qualified
pension and retirement Plans (hereinafter the "Mixed and Shared Funding
Exemptive Order"); and
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the 1940 Act and its shares are registered under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (hereinafter the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register certain variable
annuity contracts (the "Contracts") under the 1933 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Account is a duly organized, validly existing segregated asset
account, established by resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company
under the insurance laws of the State of New York, to set aside and invest
assets attributable to the Contracts; and
2
<PAGE>
WHEREAS, the Company has registered the Account as a unit investment trust
under the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Underwriter is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (hereinafter the "1934
Act"), and is a member in good standing of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. (hereinafter "NASD"); and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and
regulations, the Company intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios named in
Schedule 2 on behalf of the Account to fund the Contracts and the Underwriter is
authorized to sell such shares to unit investment trusts such as the Account at
net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Company,
the Fund and the Underwriter agree as follows:
ARTICLE I. Sale of Fund Shares
1.1. The Underwriter agrees to sell to the Company those shares of the
Fund which the Company orders on behalf of the Account, executing such orders
on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt and
acceptance by the Fund or its designee of the order for the shares of the Fund.
For purposes of this Section 1.1, the Company shall be the designee of the Fund
for receipt of such orders from each Account and receipt and acceptance by such
designee shall constitute receipt and acceptance by the Fund; provided that the
Fund receives notice of such order by 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the next
following Business Day. "Business
3
<PAGE>
Day" shall mean any day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for
trading and on which the Fund calculates its net asset value pursuant to the
rules of the SEC.
1.2. The Company shall pay for Fund shares on the next Business Day after
it places an order to purchase Fund shares in accordance with Section 1.1
hereof. Payment shall be in federal funds transmitted by wire. Upon receipt by
the Fund of the federal fiends so wired, such funds shall cease to be the
responsibility of the Company and shall become the responsibility of the Fund.
1.3. The Fund agrees to make its shares available indefinitely for purchase
at the applicable net asset value per share by Participating Insurance Companies
and their separate accounts on those days on which the Fund calculates its net
asset value pursuant to rules of the SEC and the Fund shall use reasonable
efforts to calculate such net asset value on each day which the New York Stock
Exchange is open for trading; provided, however, that the Board of Trustees of
the Fund (hereinafter the "Directors") may refuse to sell shares of any
Portfolio to any person, or suspend or terminate the offering of shares of any
Portfolio if such action (a) is required by law or by regulatory authorities
having jurisdiction or (b) is, in the sole discretion of the Directors, acting
in good faith and in light of their fiduciary duties under federal and any
applicable state laws, necessary in the best interests of the shareholders of
any Portfolio.
1.4. The Fund and the Underwriter agree that shares of the Fund will be
sold only to Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts,
qualified pension and retirement plans or such other persons as are permitted
under applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
(the "Internal Revenue Code"), and regulations promulgated
4
<PAGE>
thereunder, the sale to which will not impair the tax treatment currently
afforded the Contracts. No shares of any Portfolio will be sold to the general
public.
1.5. The Fund and the Underwriter will not sell Fund shares to any
insurance company or separate account unless an agreement containing provisions
substantially the same as Articles I, III, V, and VII of this Agreement are in
effect to govern such sales. The Fund shall make available upon written request
from the Company (i) a list of all other Participating Insurance Companies and
(ii) a copy of the Participation Agreement executed by any other Participating
Insurance Company.
1.6. The Fund agrees to redeem for cash, upon the Company's request, any
full or fractional shares of the Fund held by the Company, executing such
requests on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt
and acceptance by the Fund or its designee of the request for redemption. For
purposes of this Section 1.6, the Company shall be the designee of the Fund for
receipt of requests for redemption from each Account and receipt and acceptance
by: such designee shall constitute receipt and acceptance by the Fund; provided
the Fund receives notice of request for redemption by 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on
the next following Business Day. Payment shall be in federal funds transmitted
by wire (typically by 4:00 pm) to the Company's account as designated by the
Company in writing from time to time, on the same Business Day the Fund receives
notice of the redemption order from the Company except that the Fund reserves
the right to delay payment of redemption proceeds, but in no event may such
payment be delayed longer than the period permitted under Section 22(e) of the
1940 Act. Neither the Fund nor the Underwriter shall bear any responsibility
whatsoever for the proper disbursement or crediting of redemption proceeds by
the Company; the Company alone shall be responsible for such action. If
5
<PAGE>
notification of redemption is received after 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time,
payment for redeemed shares will be made on the next following Business Day.
1.7. The Company agrees to purchase and redeem the shares of the Portfolios
named in Schedule 2 offered by the then current prospectus of the Fund in
accordance with the provisions of such prospectus. The parties acknowledge that
the arrangement contemplated by this Agreement is not exclusive; the Fund's
shares may be sold to other insurance companies, subject to Section 1.5 and
Article VI hereof and that the cash value of the Contracts may be invested in
investment companies other than the Fund if (a) such other investment company,
or series thereof, has investment objectives or policies that are substantially
different from the investment objectives and policies of the Portfolios of the
Fund named in Schedule 2; or (b) the Company gives the Fund and the Underwriter
45 days written notice of its intention to make such other investment company
available as a funding vehicle for the Contracts; or (e) such other investment
company was available as a funding vehicle for the Contracts prior to the date
of this Agreement and appears. on Schedule 2; or (d) the Fund or Underwriter
consents in writing to the use of such other investment company.
1.8. Issuance and transfer of the Fund's shares will be by book entry
only. Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or any Account.
Purchase and redemption orders for Fund shares will be recorded in an
appropriate title for each Account or the appropriate subaccount of each
Account.
1.9. The Fund shall furnish same day notice (by wire or telephone, followed
by written confirmation) to the Company of any income, dividends or capital gain
distributions payable on the Fund's shares. The Company hereby elects to
receive all such dividends and
6
<PAGE>
distributions as are payable on the Portfolio shares in the form of additional
shares of that Portfolio. The Company reserves the right to revoke this
election and to receive all such dividends and distributions in cash. The Fund
shall notify the Company of the number of shares so issued as payment of such
dividends and distributions.
1.10. The Fund shall make the net asset value per share for each Portfolio
available to the Company on a daily basis as soon as reasonably practical after
the net asset value per share is calculated and shall use its best efforts to
make such net asset value per share available by 5:30 p.m., Eastern Time, each
business day.
ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties
------------------------------
2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts are or will be
registered under the 1933 Act and that the Contracts will be issued and sold in
compliance with all applicable federal and state laws. The Company further
represents and warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in
good standing under applicable law and that it has legally and validly
established each Account as a segregated asset account under applicable state
law and has registered each Account as a unit investment trust in accordance
with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as segregated investment accounts
for the Contracts, and that it will maintain such registration for so long as
any Contracts are outstanding. The Company shall amend the registration
statement under the 1933 Act for the Contracts and the registration statement
under the 1940 Act for the Account from time to time as required in order to
effect the continuous offering of the Contracts or as may otherwise be required
by applicable law. The
7
<PAGE>
Company shall register and qualify the Contracts for sale in accordance with the
securities laws of the various states only if and to the extent deemed necessary
by the Company.
2.2. The Company represents that it believes that the Contracts are
currently and at the time of issuance will be treated as annuity contracts under
applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and that it will make every
effort to maintain such treatment and that it will notify the Fund and the
Underwriter immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that the
Contracts have ceased to be so treated or that they might not be. so treated in
the future.
2.3. The Fund represents and warrants that Fund shares sold pursuant to
this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act and duly authorized for
issuance and sold in accordance with applicable state and federal law and that
the Fund is and shall remain registered under the 1940 Act for as long as the
Fund shares are sold. The Fund shall amend the registration statement for its
shares under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to time as required in
order to effect the continuous offering of its shares. The Fund shall register
and qualify the shares for sale in accordance with the laws of the various
states only if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund or the
Underwriter.
2.4. The Fund represents that it is currently qualified as a Regulated
Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and that it
will make every effort to maintain such qualification (under Subchapter M or any
successor or similar provision) and that it will notify the Company immediately
upon having a reasonable basis for believing that it has ceased to so qualify or
that it might not so qualify in the future.
2.5. The Fund represents that its investment objectives, policies and
restrictions comply with applicable state investment laws as they may apply to
the Fund. The Fund makes no
8
<PAGE>
representation as to whether any aspect of its operations (including, but not
limited to, fees and expenses and investment policies) complies with the
insurance laws and regulations of any state; except that the Fund represents
that the Fund's investment policies, fees and expenses are and shall at all
times remain in compliance with the laws of the State of New York to the extent:
(i) required to perform this Agreement; and (ii) the Company informs the Fund in
writing of such relevant laws of the State of New York. The Company alone shall
be responsible for informing the Fund of any insurance restrictions imposed by
New York insurance laws and any other state which are applicable to the Fund.
To the extent feasible and consistent with market conditions, the Fund will
adjust its investments to comply with the aforementioned New York insurance laws
upon written notice from the Company of such requirements and proposed
adjustments, it being agreed and understood that in any such case the Fund shall
be allowed a reasonable period of time under the circumstances after receipt of
such notice to make any such adjustment.
2.6. The Fund currently does not intend to make any payments to finance
distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act or otherwise,
although it may make such payments in the future. To the extent that it decides
to finance distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1, the Fund undertakes to
have its Directors, a majority of whom are not interested persons of the Fund,
formulate and approve any plan under Rule 12b-1 to finance distribution
expenses.
2.7. The Underwriter represents and warrants that it is and will be a
member in good standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.,
("NASD") and is and will be registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. The
Underwriter further represents that it will sell
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and distribute the Fund shares in accordance with all applicable federal and
state securities laws, including without limitation the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act,
and the 1940 Act.
2.8. The Fund represents that it is lawfully organized and validly
existing under the laws of Massachusetts and that it does and will comply with
applicable provisions of the 1940 Act.
2.9. The Underwriter represents and warrants that the Fund's Adviser,
OpCap Advisors (formerly known as Quest for Value Advisors), is and shall remain
duly registered under all applicable federal and state securities laws and that
the Adviser will perform its obligations to the Fund in accordance with the laws
of Massachusetts, New York and any applicable state and. federal securities
laws.
2.10. The Fund and Underwriter represent and warrant that all of their
directors, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other
individuals/entities having access to the funds and/or securities of the Fund
are and continue to be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or
similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than the
minimal coverage as required currently by Rule 17g-(1) of the 1940 Act or
related provisions as may be promulgated from time to time. The aforesaid Bond
includes coverage for larceny and embezzlement and is issued by a reputable
bonding company.
2.11. The Company represents and warrants that all of its directors,
officers, employees, investment advisers, and other individuals/entities dealing
with the money and/or securities of the Fund are covered by a blanket fidelity
bond or similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund, in an amount not less than
$5 million. The aforesaid includes coverage for larceny and embezzlement and is
issued by a reputable bonding company. The Company agrees to make all
10
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reasonable efforts to see that this bond or another bond containing these
provisions is always in effect, and agrees to notify the Fund and the
Underwriter in the event that such coverage no longer applies.
ARTICLE III. Prospectuses and Proxy Statements; Voting
-----------------------------------------
3.1. The Underwriter shall provide the Company, at the Company's expense,
with as many copies of the Fund's current prospectus as the Company may
reasonably request for use with prospective contractowners and applicants. The
Underwriter shall print and distribute, at the Fund's or Underwriter's expense,
as many copies of said prospectus as necessary for distribution to existing
contractowners or participants. If requested by the Company in lieu thereof,
the Fund shall provide such documentation including a final copy of a current
prospectus set in type (including an 8 1/2" x 11" camera ready copy) at the
Fund's expense and other assistance as is reasonably necessary in order for the
Company at least annually (or more frequently if the Fund prospectus is amended
more frequently) to have the new prospectus for the Contracts and the Fund's
new prospectus printed together in one document. In such case the Fund shall
bear its share of expenses as described above.
3.2. The Fund's prospectus shall state that the Statement of Additional
Information for the Fund is available from the Underwriter or alternatively from
the Company (or, in the Fund's discretion, the Prospectus shall state that such
Statement is available from the Fund), and the Underwriter (or the Fund) shall
provide such Statement, at its expense, to the Company and to any owner of or
participant under a Contract who requests such Statement or, at
11
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the Company's expense, to any prospective contractowner and applicant who
requests such statement.
3.3. The Fund, at its expense, (a) shall provide the Company with copies
of its proxy material, if any, reports to shareholders and other communications
to shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall reasonably require and (b)
shall bear the costs of distributing them to existing contractowners or
participants.
3.4. If and to the extent required by law the Company shall:
(i) solicit voting instructions from contractowners;
(ii) vote the Fund shares held in the Account in accordance with
instructions received from contractowners; and
(iii) vote Fund shares held in the Account for which no timely
instructions have been received, in the same proportion as Fund
shares of such Portfolio for which instructions have been
received from the Company's contractowners;
so long as and to the extent that the SEC continues to interpret the 1940 Act to
require pass through voting privileges for variable contractowners. The Company
reserves the right to vote Fund shares held in any segregated asset account in
its own right, to the extent permitted by law. Participating Insurance Companies
shall be responsible for assuring that each of their separate accounts
participating in the Fund calculates voting privileges in a manner consistent
with other Participating Insurance Companies.
3.5. The Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act requiring
voting by shareholders, and in particular as required, the Fund will either
provide for annual meetings or comply with Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act
(although the Fund is not one of the trusts described in Section 16(c) of that
Act) as well as with Sections 16(a) and, if and when applicable, 16(b).
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Further, the Fund will act in accordance with the SEC interpretation of the
requirements of Section 16(a) with respect to periodic elections of directors
and with whatever rules the Commission may promulgate with respect thereto.
ARTICLE IV. Sales Material and Information
------------------------------
4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the
Fund or the Underwriter, each piece of sales literature or other promotional
material that the Company develops or uses in which the Fund or the Fund's
adviser or the Underwriter is named, at least five Business Days prior to its
use. No such material shall be used if the Fund or the Underwriter reasonably
objects in writing to such use within five Business Days after receipt of such
material.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund in
connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the information or
representations contained in the registration statement or prospectus or
statement of additional information for the Fund shares, as such registration
statement and prospectus or statement of additional information may be amended
or supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the
Fund, or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Fund
or by the Underwriter, except with the permission of the Fund or the
Underwriter. The Fund and the Underwriter agree to respond to any request for
approval on a prompt and timely basis.
4.3. The Fund or the Underwriter shall furnish, or shall cause to be
furnished, to the Company or its designee, each piece of sales literature or
other promotional material in which the Company or its separate account is
named, at least five Business Days prior to its use. No
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<PAGE>
such material shall be used if the Company reasonably objects in writing to such
use within five Business Days after receipt of such material.
4.4. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not give any information or make
any representations on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company, each
Account, or the Contracts other than the information or representations
contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts, as such
registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time
to time, or in published reports for each Account which are in the public domain
or approved by the Company for distribution to contractowners, or in sales
literature or other promotional material approved by the Company, except with
the permission of the Company. The Company agrees to respond to any request for
approval on a prompt and timely basis.
4.5. The Fund will provide to the Company at least one complete copy of all
registration statements, prospectuses, statements of additional information,
reports, proxy statements, sales literature and other promotional materials,
applications for exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all amendments
to any of the above, that relate to the Fund or its shares, contemporaneously
with the filing of such document with the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
4.6. The Company will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy of all
registration statements, prospectuses, statements of additional information,
reports, solicitations for voting instructions, sales literature and other
promotional materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no-action
letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that relate to the Contracts or
each Account, contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the SEC or
other regulatory authorities.
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<PAGE>
4.7. The Fund will provide the Company with as much notice as is reasonably
practicable of any proxy solicitation for the Fund and/or any Fund Portfolio
named in Schedule 2, and of any material change in the Fund's registration
statement, particularly any change resulting in change to the registration
statement or prospectus for any Account. The Fund will work with the Company so
as to enable the Company to solicit proxies from contractowners, or to make
changes to its prospectus or registration statement, in an orderly manner.
4.8. For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase "sales literature or other
promotional material" includes, but is not limited to, advertisements (such as
material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper, magazine, or other
periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording, videotape display,
signs or billboards, motion pictures, or other public media), sales literature
(i.e., any written communication distributed or made generally available to
customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research reports,
market letters, form letters, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts of any other
advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or training
materials or other communications distributed or made generally available to
some or all agents or employees, registration statements, prospectuses,
statements of additional information, shareholder reports, and proxy materials
and any other material constituting sales literature or advertising under NASD
rules, the 1940 Act or the 1933 Act.
ARTICLE V. Fees and Expenses
-----------------
5.1. The Fund and Underwriter shall pay no fee or other compensation to the
Company under this Agreement, except that if the Fund or any Portfolio adopts
and implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 to finance distribution expenses,
then, subject to obtaining any
15
<PAGE>
required exemptive orders or other regulatory approvals, the Underwriter may
make payments to the Company or to the underwriter for the Contracts if and in
amounts agreed to by the Underwriter in writing. Currently, no such payments
are contemplated.
5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the Fund of this Agreement
shall be paid by the Fund to the extent permitted by law. All Fund shares will
be duly authorized for issuance and registered in accordance with applicable
federal law and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund, in accordance with
applicable state law, prior to sale. The Fund shall bear the expenses for the
cost of registration and qualification of the Fund's shares, preparation and
filing of the Fund's prospectus and registration statement, Fund proxy materials
and reports, setting in type (including camera ready), printing and distributing
the prospectuses, the proxy materials and reports to existing shareholders and
contractowners, the preparation of all statements and notices required by any
federal or state law, all taxes on the issuance or transfer of the Fund's
shares, and any expenses permitted to be paid or assumed by the Fund pursuant
to a plan, if any, under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
ARTICLE VI. Diversification
---------------
6.1. The Fund will at all times invest money from the Contracts in such a
manner as to ensure that the Contracts will be treated as variable contracts
under the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder. Without
limiting the scope of the foregoing, the Fund will comply with Section 817(h) of
the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulation 1.817-5 and any Treasury
interpretations thereof, relating to the diversification requirements for
variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance contracts and any amendments or
other modifications or
16
<PAGE>
successor provisions to such Section or Regulations. In the event of a breach
of this Article VI by the Fund, it will (a) notify the Company of such breach
and (b) take all reasonable steps to adequately diversify the Fund so as to
achieve compliance within the grace period afforded by Treasury Regulation
1.817-5.
ARTICLE VII. Potential Conflicts
-------------------
7.1. The Directors of the Fund (the "Fund Board") will monitor the Fund
for the existence of any material irreconcilable conflict among the interests of
the contractowners of all separate accounts investing in the Fund. An
irreconcilable material conflict may arise for a variety of reasons, including:
(a) an action by any state insurance regulatory authority; (b) a change in
applicable federal or state insurance, tax, or securities laws or regulations,
or a public ruling, private letter ruling, no-action or interpretative letter,
or any similar action by insurance, tax, or securities regulatory authorities;
(c) an administrative or judicial decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the
manner in which the investments of any Portfolio are being managed; (e) a
difference in voting instructions given by Participating Insurance Companies or
by variable annuity contract and variable life insurance contractowners; or (f)
a decision by an insurer to disregard the voting instructions of contractowners.
The Fund Board shall promptly inform the Company if it determines that an
irreconcilable material conflict exists and the implications thereof. A majority
of the Fund Board shall consist of persons who are not "interested" persons of
the Fund.
7.2. The Company has reviewed a copy of the Mixed and Shared Funding
Exemptive Order, and in particular, has reviewed the conditions to the requested
relief set forth
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therein. As set forth in the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order, the
Company will report any potential or existing conflicts of which it is aware to
the Fund Board. The Company agrees to assist the Fund Board in carrying out its
responsibilities under the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order, by
providing the Fund Board with all information reasonably necessary for the Fund
Board to consider any issues raised. This includes, but is not limited to, an
obligation by the Company to inform the Fund Board whenever contractowner
voting instructions are disregarded. The Fund Board shall record in its minutes
or other appropriate records, all reports received by it and all action with
regard to a conflict.
7.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Fund Board, or a majority of
its disinterested Directors, that an irreconcilable material conflict exists,
the Company and other Participating Insurance Companies shall, at their expense
and to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined by a majority of the
disinterested Directors), take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or
eliminate the irreconcilable material conflict, up to and including: (1)
withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the separate accounts from
the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different investment
medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of the Fund, or
submitting the question whether such segregation should be implemented to a vote
of all affected contractowners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of
any appropriate group (i.e., variable annuity contractowners or variable life
insurance contractowners, of one or more Participating Insurance Companies) that
votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected contractowners
the option of making such a change; and (2) establishing a new registered
management investment company or managed separate account.
18
<PAGE>
7.4. If the Company's disregard of voting instructions could conflict
with the majority of contractowner voting instructions, and the Company's
judgment represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote, the
Company may be required, at the Fund's election, to withdraw the Account's
investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with respect to such
Account; provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall be
limited to the extent required by the foregoing irreconcilable conflict as
determined by a majority of disinterested Directors. Any such withdrawal and
termination must take place within six months after the Fund gives written
notice to the Company that this provision is being implemented. Until the end
of such six month period the Underwriter and Fund shall continue to accept and
implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of
the Fund.
7.5. If a particular state insurance regulator's decision applicable to
the Company conflicts with the majority of other state insurance regulators,
then the Company will withdraw the Account's investment in the Fund and
terminate this Agreement with respect to such Account; provided, however, that
such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by the
foregoing irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of disinterested
Directors. Any such withdrawal and termination must take place within six
months after the Fund gives written notice to the Company that this provision is
being implemented. Until the end of such six month period the Underwriter and
Fund shall continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the
purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.6. For purposes of Sections 7.3 through 7.6 of this Agreement, a
majority of the disinterested members of the Fund Board shall determine whether
any proposed action adequately remedies any irreconcilable material conflict,
but in no event will the Fund or OpCap Advisors be
19
<PAGE>
required to establish a new funding medium for the Contracts. The Company shall
not be required by Section 7.3 to establish a new funding medium for the
Contracts if an offer to do so has been declined by vote of a majority of
contractowners materially adversely affected by the irreconcilable material
conflict.
7.7. The Company shall at least annually submit to the Fund Board such
reports, materials or data as the Fund Board may reasonably request so that the
Fund Board may fully carry out the duties imposed upon it as delineated in the
Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order, and said reports, materials and data
shall be submitted more frequently if deemed appropriate by the Fund Board.
7.8. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3 (T) are amended, or
Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the 1940
Act or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding
(as defined in the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and
conditions materially different from those contained in the Mixed and Shared
Funding Exemptive Order, (a) the Fund and/or the Participating Insurance
Companies, as appropriate, shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply
with Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3 (T), as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the
extent such rules are applicable; and (b) Sections 3.4, 3.5, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4,
and 7.5 of this Agreement shall continue in effect only to the extent that terms
and conditions substantially identical to such Sections are contained in such
Rule(s) as so amended or adopted.
20
<PAGE>
ARTICLE VIII. Indemnification
8.1. Indemnification By The Company
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund, the
Underwriter, and each of the Fund's or the Underwriter's directors, officers,
employees or agents and each person, if any, who controls the Fund or the
Underwriter within the meaning of such term under the federal securities laws
(collectively, the "indemnified parties" for purposes of this Section 8.1)
against any and-all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid
in settlement with the written consent of the Company) or litigation (including
reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the indemnified parties may
become subject under any statute, regulation, at common law or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in
respect thereof) or settlements:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or alleged
untrue statements of any material fact contained in the
registration statement, prospectus or statement of additional
information for the Contracts or contained in the Contracts or
sales literature or other promotional material for the Contracts
(or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or
arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading in light of the circumstances in which they were made;
provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to
any indemnified party if such statement or omission or such
alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished to the Company by or on
behalf of the Fund or the Underwriter for use in the registration
statement, prospectus or statement of additional information for
the Contracts or in the Contracts or sales literature or other
promotional material for the Contracts (or any amendment or
supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of
the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations by
or on behalf of the Company (other than statements or
representations
21
<PAGE>
contained in the Fund registration statement, Fund prospectus,
statement of additional information or sales literature or other
promotional material of the Fund not supplied by the Company or
persons under its control) or wrongful conduct of the Company or
persons under its control, with respect to the sale or
distribution of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
a material fact contained in the Fund registration statement,
Fund prospectus, statement of additional information or sales
literature or other promotional material of the Fund or any
amendment thereof or supplement thereto or the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading in light of the circumstances in which they were made,
if such a statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf
of the Company or persons under its control; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Company to provide the
services and furnish the materials or to make any payments under
the terms of this Agreement; or
(v) arise out of any material breach of any representation and/or
warranty made by the Company in this Agreement or arise out of or
result from any other material breach by the Company of this
Agreement;
except to the extent provided in Sections 8.1(b) and 8.3 hereof. This
indemnification shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may
otherwise have.
(b) No party shall be entitled to indemnification if such loss, claim,
damage, liability or litigation is due to the willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of duty by the party seeking
indemnification.
(c) The indemnified parties will promptly notify the Company of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in connection with
the issuance or sale of the Fund shares or the Contracts or the operation of the
Fund.
22
<PAGE>
8.2. Indemnification By the Underwriter
(a) The Underwriter, on its own behalf and on behalf of the Fund, agrees
to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of its directors, officers,
employees or agents and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the
meaning of such term under the federal securities laws (collectively, the
"indemnified parties" for purposes of this Section 8.2) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Underwriter) or litigation (including reasonable
legal and other expenses) to which the indemnified parties may become subject
under any statute, regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof)
or settlements:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of any material fact contained in the
registration statement, prospectus or statement of additional
information for the Fund or sales literature or other promotional
material of the Fund (or any amendment or supplement to any of
the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or
the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading in light of the circumstances in which they were made;
provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to
any indemnified party if such statement or omission or such
alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished to the Underwriter or Fund
by or on behalf of the Company for use in the registration
statement, prospectus or statement of additional information for
the Fund or in sales literature or other promotional material of
the Fund (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or otherwise
for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Fund
shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in the
Contracts or in the Contract registration statement, the Contract
prospectus, statement of additional information, or sales
literature or other promotional material for the Contracts not
supplied by the
23
<PAGE>
Underwriter or the Fund or persons under the control of the
Underwriter or the Fund respectively) or wrongful conduct of the
Underwriter or the Fund or persons under the control of the
Underwriter or the Fund respectively, with respect to the sale or
distribution of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
a material fact contained in a registration statement,
prospectus, statement of additional information or sales
literature or other promotional material covering the Contracts
(or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto), or the
omission. or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement
or statements therein not misleading in light of the
circumstances in which they were made, if such statement or
omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the
Underwriter or the Fund or persons under the control of the
Underwriter or the Fund; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional or in good
faith or otherwise, to comply with the diversification
requirements and procedures related thereto specified in Article
VI of this Agreement); or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Underwriter or the
Fund in this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other
material breach of this Agreement by the Underwriter or the Fund;
except to the extent provided in Sections 8.2(b) and 8.3 hereof. This
indemnification shall be in addition to any liability which the Underwriter may
otherwise have.
(b) No party shall be entitled to indemnification if such loss, claim
damage, liability or litigation is due to the willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of duty by the party seeking
indemnification.
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<PAGE>
(c) The indemnified parties will promptly notify the Underwriter of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in connection with
the issuance or sale of the Contracts or the operation of the Account.
8.3. Indemnification Procedure
Any person obligated to provide indemnification under this Article VIII
("indemnifying party" for the purpose of this Section 8.3) shall not be liable
under the indemnification provisions of this Article VIII with respect to any
claim made against a party entitled to indemnification under this Article VIII
("indemnified party" for the purpose of this Section 8.3) unless such
indemnified party shall have notified the indemnifying party in writing within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
indemnified party (or after such party shall have received notice of such
service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the indemnifying party
of any such claim shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability
which it may have to the indemnified party against whom such action is brought
under the indemnification provision of this Article VIII, except to the extent
that the failure to notify results in the failure of actual notice to the
indemnifying party and such indemnifying party is damaged solely as a result of
failure to give such notice. In case any such action is brought against the
indemnified party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate, at
its own expense, in the defense thereof. The indemnifying party also shall be
entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party
named in the action. After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified
party of the indemnifying party's election to assume the defense thereof, the
indemnified party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel
retained by it, and the
25
<PAGE>
indemnifying party will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any
legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in
connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of
investigation, unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall
have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties
to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the
indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties
by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing
interests between them. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any
settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent but if settled
with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the
indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against
any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.
A successor by law of the parties to this Agreement shall be entitled to
the benefits of the indemnification contained in this Article VIII. The
indemnification provisions contained in this Article VIII shall survive any
termination of this Agreement.
8.4. Contribution
In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in
which the indemnification provided for in this Article VIII is due in accordance
with its terms but for any reason is held to be unenforceable with respect to a
party entitled to indemnification ('indemnified party" for purposes of this
Section 8.4) pursuant to the terms of this Article VIII, then each party
.obligated to indemnify pursuant to the terms of this Article VIII shall
contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result
of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and litigations in such proportion
as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the
26
<PAGE>
parties to this Agreement in connection with the offering of Fund shares to the
Account and the acquisition, holding or sale of Fund shares by the Account, or
if such allocation is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportions as is
appropriate to reflect the relative net benefits referred to above but also the
relative fault of the parties to this Agreement in connection with any actions
that lead to such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigations, as well
as any other relevant equitable considerations.
ARTICLE IX. Applicable Law
--------------
9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933
1934 and 1940 Acts, and the rules and. regulations and rulings thereunder,
including such exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the SEC
may grant (including, but not limited to the Mixed and Shared Funding Exemptive
Order) and the terms hereof shall be interpreted and construed in accordance
therewith.
ARTICLE X. Termination
-----------
10.1. This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect as of
the date hereof, unless terminated under any of the following circumstances:
(a) at the option of any party upon six months advance
written notice to the other parties unless otherwise agreed in a separate
written agreement among the parties; or
27
<PAGE>
(b) with respect to the Fund Portfolios delineated in Schedule 2, at
the option of the Company if shares of such Fund Portfolios delineated in
Schedule 2 are not reasonably available to meet the requirements of the
Contracts as determined by the Company; or
(c) at the option of the Fund upon institution of formal proceedings
against the Company by the NASD, the SEC, the insurance commission of any state
or any other regulatory body regarding the Company's duties under this Agreement
or related to the sale of the Contracts, the administration of the Contracts,
the operation of the Account, or the purchase of the Fund shares, which would
have a material adverse effect on the Company's ability to perform its
obligations under this Agreement; or
(d) at the option of the Company upon institution of formal
proceedings against the Fund or the Underwriter by the NASD, the SEC, or any
state securities or insurance department or any other regulatory body, which
would have a material adverse effect on the Fund's or the Underwriter's ability
to perform its obligations under this Agreement; or
(e) at the option of the Company or the Fund upon receipt of any
necessary regulatory approvals and/or the vote of the contractowners having an
interest in the Account (or any subaccount) to substitute the shares of another
investment company for the corresponding Portfolio shares of the Fund in
accordance with the terms of the Contracts for which those Portfolio shares had
been selected to serve as the underlying investment media. The Company will give
30 days prior written notice to the Fund of the date of any proposed vote or
other action taken to replace the Fund's shares; or
28
<PAGE>
(f) at the option of the Company or the Fund upon a determination by a
majority of the Fund Board, or a majority of the disinterested Fund Board
members, that an irreconcilable material conflict exists in accordance with
Article VII of this Agreement; or
(g) with respect to a Fund Portfolio, at the option of the Company if
such Portfolio ceases to qualify as a Regulated Investment Company under
Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, or under any successor or similar
provision, or if the Company reasonably believes that such Portfolio may fail to
so qualify; or
(h) with respect to a Fund Portfolio, at the option of the Company if
such Portfolio fails to meet the diversification requirements specified in
Article VI hereof, or
(i) at the option of any party to this Agreement, upon another party's
material breach of any provision, representation or warranty of this Agreement
unless the party who committed the material breach cures such material breach
within, 30 days after written notice of such material breach; or
(j) at the option of the Company, if the Company determined in its
sole judgment exercised in good faith, that either the Fund or the Underwriter
has suffered a material adverse change in its business, operations or financial
condition since the date of this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse
publicity which is likely to have a material adverse impact upon the business
and operations of the Company or the Account; or
(k) at the option of the Fund or Underwriter, if the Fund or
Underwriter respectively, shall determine in its sole judgment exercised in good
faith, that the Company has suffered a material adverse change in its business,
operations or financial condition since the date
29
<PAGE>
of this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse publicity which is
likely to have a material adverse impact upon the business and operations of the
Fund or Underwriter; or
(l) at the option of the Fund in the event any of the Contracts are
not issued or sold in accordance with applicable federal and/or state law.
Termination shall be effective immediately upon such occurrence without notice;
or
(m) at the option of the Company in the event any of the Fund
Portfolio's shares are not registered, issued or sold in accordance with
applicable state and/or federal law or such law precludes the use of such shares
as the underlying investment media of the Contracts issued or to be issued by
the Company.
10.2. Notice Requirement
------------------
(a) In the event that any termination of this Agreement is based
upon the provisions of Article VII, such prior written notice shall be given in
advance of the effective date of termination as required by such provisions.
(b) In the event that any termination of this Agreement is based
upon the provisions of Sections 10.1(b) - (d), 10.1(g), 10.1(h) or 10.1(m),
prompt written notice of the election to terminate this Agreement for cause
shall be furnished by the party terminating the Agreement to the non-terminating
parties, with said termination to be effective upon receipt of such notice by
the non-terminating parties.
(c) In the event that any termination of this Agreement is based
upon the provisions of Sections10.1(i) - 10.1(k), prior written notice of the
election to terminate this Agreement for cause shall be furnished by the party
terminating this Agreement to the non-
30
<PAGE>
terminating parties. Such prior written notice shall be given by the party
terminating this Agreement to the non-terminating parties at least 30 days
before the effective date of termination.
10.3. It is understood and agreed that the right to terminate this
Agreement pursuant to Section 10.1(a) may be exercised for any reason or for no
reason.
10.4. Effect of Termination
---------------------
(a) Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement pursuant to
Section 10.1 of this Agreement, and subject to Section 1.3 of this Agreement,
the Company may require the Fund and the Underwriter to, continue to make
available additional shares of the Fund for so long after the termination of
this Agreement as the Company desires pursuant to the terms and conditions of
this Agreement as provided in paragraph (b) below, for all Contracts in effect
on the effective date of termination of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to
as "Existing Contracts"). Specifically, without limitation, the owners of the
Existing Contracts shall be permitted to reallocate investments in the Fund,
redeem investments in the Fund and/or invest in the Fund upon the making of
additional purchase payments under the Existing Contracts. The parties agree
that this Section 10.4 shall not apply to any terminations under Article VII and
the effect of such Article VII terminations shall be governed by Article VII of
this Agreement.
(b) If shares of the Fund continue to be made available after
termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 10.4, the provisions of
this Agreement shall remain in effect except for Section 10.1(a) and thereafter
the Fund, the Underwriter, or the Company may terminate the Agreement, as so
continued pursuant to this Section 10.4, upon written notice to the other party,
such notice to be for a period that is reasonable under the circumstances but,
if given by the Fund or Underwriter, need not be for more than 180 days.
31
<PAGE>
10.5. The Company shall not redeem Fund shares attributable to the
Contracts (as opposed to Fund shares attributable to the Company's assets held
in the Account) except (i) as necessary to implement contract owner initiated or
approved transactions, (ii) as required by state and/or federal laws or
regulations or judicial or other legal precedent of general application, or
(iii) as permitted by an order of the SEC pursuant to Section 26(b) of the 1940
Act and the Company shall not prevent contract owners from allocating payments
to a Portfolio that was otherwise available under the Contracts, until 90 days
after the Company shall have notified the Fund or Underwriter of its intention
to do so.
ARTICLE XI. Notices
-------
Any notice shall be deemed duly given only if sent by hand, evidenced by
written receipt, overnight delivery or by certified mail, return receipt
requested, to the other party at the address of such party set forth below or at
such other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing to the
other party. All notices shall be deemed given three Business Days after the
date received or rejected by the addressee.
If to the Fund:
Mr. Bernard H. Garil
President
OpCap Advisors
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281
If to the Company:
Mr. Jeffrey Lammers
Providian Corporation
400 West Market Street
Louisville, KY 40202
32
<PAGE>
with copy to:
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
520 Colombia Drive
Johnson City, NY 13790
Attn: Marketing Director
If to the Underwriter:
Mr. Thomas E. Duggan
Secretary
OCC Distributors
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281
ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous
-------------
12.1. All persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the
property of the Fund for the enforcement of any claims against the Fund as
neither the Directors, officers, agents or shareholders assume any personal
liability for obligations entered into on behalf of the Fund.
12.2. Subject to law and regulatory authority, each party hereto
shall treat as confidential all information reasonably identified as such in
writing by any other party hereto (including without limitation the names and
addresses of the owners of the Contracts) and, except as contemplated by this
Agreement, shall not disclose, disseminate or utilize such confidential
information until such time as it may come into the public domain without the
express prior written consent of the affected party.
12.3. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or
otherwise affect their construction or effect.
33
<PAGE>
12.4. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more
counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
12.5. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by
a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement
shall not be affected thereby.
12.6. This Agreement shall not be assigned by any party hereto without the
prior written consent of all the parties.
12.7. Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party and all
appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation the SEC, the
NASD and state insurance regulators) and shall permit each other and such
authorities reasonable access to its books and records in connection with any
investigation or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions
contemplated hereby.
12.8. Each party represents that the execution and delivery of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein have been
duly authorized by all necessary corporate or trust action, as applicable, by
such party and when so executed and delivered this Agreement will be the valid
and binding obligation of such party enforceable in accordance with its terms.
Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, each party hereto further
agrees to furnish the New York Insurance Commissioner with any information or
reports in connection with services provided under this Agreement which such
Commissioner may request in order to ascertain whether the variable annuity
operations of the Company are being conducted in a manner consistent with the
New York variable annuity laws and regulations and any other applicable law or
regulations.
34
<PAGE>
12.9. The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement are
cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies, and obligations,
at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to under state and
federal laws.
12.10. The parties to this Agreement may amend the schedules to this
Agreement from time to time to reflect changes in or relating to the Contracts,
the Accounts or the Portfolios of the Fund.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to
be executed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized representative as of
the date and year first written above.
Company:
-------
FIRST PROVIDIAN LIFE AND HEALTH
INSURANCE COMPANY
SEAL By: /s/ Gregory J. Garvin
----------------------
Fund:
----
OCC ACCUMULATION TRUST
SEAL By: /s/ ?????????????????????
-------------------------
Underwriter:
-----------
OCC DISTRIBUTORS
By: /s/ ??????????????????????
--------------------------
35
<PAGE>
Schedule 1
Participation Agreement
Among
OCC Accumulation Trust, First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
and
OCC Distributors
The following separate accounts of First Providian Life and Health
Insurance Company are permitted in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement to invest in Portfolios of the Fund shown in Schedule 2:
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company Separate Account C
11/1/96
<PAGE>
Schedule 2
Participation Agreement
Among
OCC Accumulation Trust, First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
and
OCC Distributors
The Separate Account(s) shown on Schedule 1 may invest in the following
Portfolios of OCC Accumulation Trust:
Managed Portfolio
Small Cap Portfolio
U.S. Government Income Portfolio
Other Funding Vehicles for Marquee Variable Annuity:
Fidelity Investments:
Fidelity Asset Manager
Fidelity Equity - Income
Fidelity Growth
Fidelity Money Market
Dreyfus:
Dreyfus Growth and Income
Dreyfus Quality Bond
T. Rowe Price:
T. Rowe Price New America Growth
T. Rowe Price Equity Income
T. Rowe Price International Stock
11/1/96
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 9(a)
[LOGO OF PROVIDIAN]
Providian Corporation
400 West Market Street
Post Office Box 32830
Louisville, Kentucky 40232
502-560-2000
July 24, 1997
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company
Administrative Offices
520 Columbia Drive
Johnson City, New York 13790
RE: First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company Separate Account C--
Opinion and Consent
To Whom It May Concern:
This opinion and consent is furnished in connection with the filing of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 (the "Amendment") to the Registration Statement
on Form N-4, File No. 33-94210 (the "Registration Statement") under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), of First Providian Life and
Health Insurance Company Separate Account C ("Separate Account C"). Separate
Account C receives and invests premiums allocated to it under a flexible premium
multi-funded annuity contract (the "Annuity Contract"). The Annuity Contract is
offered in the manner described in the prospectus contained in the Registration
Statement (the "Prospectus").
In my capacity as legal adviser to First Providian Life and Health
Insurance Company, I hereby confirm the establishment of Separate Account C
pursuant to a resolution adopted by the Board of Directors of First Providian
Life and Health Insurance Company for a separate account for assets applicable
to the Annuity Contract, pursuant to the provisions of Section 46 of the New
York Insurance Statutes. In addition, I have made such examination of the law
in addition to consultation with outside counsel and have examined such
corporate records and such other documents as I consider appropriate as a basis
for the opinion hereinafter expressed. On the basis of such examination, it is
my professional opinion that:
1. First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company is a corporation duly
organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of New York.
2. Separate Account C is an account established and maintained by First
Providian Life and Health Insurance Company pursuant to the laws of the
State of New York, under which income, capital gains and capital losses
incurred on the assets of Separate Account C are credited to or charged
against the assets of Separate Account C, without regard to the income,
capital gains or capital losses arising out of any other business which
First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company may conduct.
<PAGE>
3. Assets allocated to Separate Account C will be owned by First Providian
Life and Health Insurance Company. The assets in Separate Account C
attributable to the Annuity Contract generally are not chargeable with
liabilities arising out of any other business which First Providian Life
and Health Insurance Company may conduct. The assets of Separate Account C
are available to cover the general liabilities of First Providian Life and
Health Insurance Company only to the extent that the assets of Separate
Account C exceed the liabilities arising under the Annuity Contracts.
4. The Annuity Contracts have been duly authorized by First Providian Life and
Health Insurance Company and, when sold in jurisdictions authorizing such
sales, in accordance with the Registration Statement, will constitute
validly issued and binding obligations of First Providian Life and Health
Insurance Company in accordance with their terms.
5. Owners of the Annuity Contracts as such, will not be subject to any
deductions, charges or assessments imposed by First Providian Life and
Health Insurance Company other than those provided in the Annuity Contract.
I hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Amendment
and to the reference to my name under the heading "Legal Matters" in the
Prospectus.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Kimberly A. Scouller
- - -------------------------
Kimberly A. Scouller
Assistant General Counsel
<PAGE>
Exhibit 9(b)
July 28, 1997
First Providian Life and Health
Insurance Company
20 Moores Road
Frazer, Pennsylvania 19355
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We hereby consent to the reference to our name under the caption "Legal
Matters" in the Prospectus contained in Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the
Registration Statement (File No. 33-94210) filed on the date hereof by First
Providian Life and Health Insurance Company and First Providian Life and Health
Insurance Company Separate Account C with the Securities and Exchange Commission
under the Securities Act of 1933.
Very truly yours,
JORDEN BURT BERENSON
& JOHNSON LLP
By: /s/ Jorden Burt Berenson & Johnson LLP
--------------------------------------
<PAGE>
Exhibit No. (10)
Consent of Independent Auditors
We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption "Auditors" and to the
use of our report dated April 25, 1997, with respect to the statutory-basis
financial statements of First Providian Life and Health Insurance Company in
Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement (Form N-4 No.
33-94210) and related Prospectus of First Providian Life and Health Insurance
Company Separate Account C - Marquee.
/s/Ernst & Young LLP
Louisville, Kentucky
July 23, 1997
