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AGF Investments Inc.
Headnote
NP 11-203 Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions -- Exemption from subsection 5.1(a) of NI 81-105 to allow the investment fund manager to pay to a participating dealer direct costs incurred by the participating dealer relating to a sales communication, investor conference or investor seminar prepared or presented by the participating dealer which has a primary purpose of providing educational information on financial planning matters.
Applicable Legislative Provisions
National Instrument 81-105 Mutual Fund Sales Practices, ss. 5.1(a) and 9.1.
February 13, 2020
IN THE MATTER OF THE SECURITIES LEGISLATION OF ONTARIO (the Jurisdiction) AND IN THE MATTER OF THE PROCESS FOR EXEMPTIVE RELIEF APPLICATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONs AND IN THE MATTER OF AGF INVESTMENTS INC. (the Filer)
DECISION
Background
The principal regulator in the Jurisdiction has received an application from the Filer for a decision under the securities legislation of the Jurisdiction (the Legislation) for relief from subsection 5.1(a) of National Instrument 81-105 Mutual Fund Sales Practices (NI 81-105) to permit the Filer to pay to a participating dealer direct costs incurred by the participating dealer relating to a sales communication, investor conference or investor seminar prepared or presented by the participating dealer (each individually referred to as a Cooperative Marketing Initiative and collectively as Cooperative Marketing Initiatives) if the primary purpose of the Cooperative Marketing Initiative is to promote or provide educational information concerning investing in securities and investment, retirement, tax and estate planning (collectively, Financial Planning) matters (the Exemption Sought).
Under the Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions (for a passport application):
a) the Ontario Securities Commission is the principal regulator for this application; and
b) the Filer has provided notice that section 4.7(1) of Multilateral Instrument 11-102 Passport System (MI 11-102) is intended to be relied upon in each of the other provinces and territories of Canada (together with Ontario, the Jurisdictions).
Interpretation
Terms defined in National Instrument 14-101 Definitions, MI 11-102 or NI 81-105 have the same meaning if used in this decision, unless otherwise defined.
Representations
This decision is based on the following facts represented by the Filer:
The Filer
1. The Filer is a corporation amalgamated under the laws of the Province of Ontario with its head office in Toronto, Ontario.
2. The Filer is registered in the categories of (a) exempt market dealer in the Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, (b) portfolio manager in each of the Jurisdictions, (c) investment fund manager in the Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Quebec, (d) a mutual fund dealer in the Provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec and (e) a commodity trading manager in the Province of Ontario.
3. The Filer acts and may in the future act as investment fund manager in respect of various mutual funds, including exchange-traded funds, (each a Fund and collectively, the Funds) governed by National Instrument 81-102 Investment Funds.
4. Securities of the Funds are distributed by participating dealers in the Jurisdictions.
The Funds
5. The Filer is, or will be in the future, a "member of the organization" (as that term is defined in NI 81-105) of the Funds, as the Filer is, or will be in the future, the manager of the Funds.
6. Each of the Funds is, or will be, an open-ended mutual fund established under the laws of Canada or a Jurisdiction. The securities of each of the Funds are, or will be, qualified for distribution pursuant to a prospectus that has been, or will be, prepared and filed in accordance with the securities legislation of each applicable Jurisdiction. Each of the Funds is, or will be, a reporting issuer in one or more of the Jurisdictions. Each of the Funds is, or will be, subject to NI 81-105, including Part 5 thereof which governs marketing and educational practices.
7. Neither the Filer nor the Funds it manages are in default of securities legislation in any of the Jurisdictions.
Exemption Sought
8. Under subsection 5.1(a) of NI 81-105, the Filer is permitted to pay direct costs incurred by a participating dealer where the purpose of the Cooperative Marketing Initiative is to promote or provide educational information about the Funds, the mutual fund family of which the Funds are members, or mutual funds generally.
9. Subsection 5.1(a) of NI 81-105 prohibits the Filer from paying direct costs incurred by a participating dealer relating to a Cooperative Marketing Initiative where the primary purpose is to provide educational information about Financial Planning matters. Consequently, the Filer is not permitted to sponsor the cost of sales communications, investor seminars or investor conferences prepared or presented by participating dealers where the main topics discussed include investment planning, retirement planning, tax planning and estate planning, each of which are aspects of Financial Planning.
10. The Filer and its affiliates have expertise in Financial Planning matters or may retain others with such expertise from time to time.
11. In addition to the topics currently permitted under subsection 5.1(a) of NI 81-105, the Filer wishes to sponsor Cooperative Marketing Initiatives where the primary purpose of the Cooperative Marketing Initiatives is to provide educational information concerning Financial Planning matters. The Filer will otherwise comply with subsections 5.1(b) to (e) of NI 81-105 in respect of such Cooperative Marketing Initiatives it sponsors.
12. Mutual funds typically form only a portion of an investor's portfolio and should be considered in the broader context of the investor's Financial Planning. Allowing the Filer to sponsor Cooperative Marketing Initiatives on Financial Planning matters may benefit investors as it may facilitate and potentially increase investors' access to educational information on such matters, which may in turn better equip them to make financial decisions that involve mutual funds.
13. Under sections 5.2 and 5.5 of NI 81-105, the Filer is permitted to sponsor the costs incurred by participating dealers in attending or organizing and presenting at conferences where the primary purpose is the provision of educational information on, among other things, financial planning.
14. Specifically, under subsection 5.2(a) of NI 81-105, the Filer is permitted to provide a non-monetary benefit to a representative of a participating dealer by allowing him or her to attend a conference or seminar organized and presented by the Filer where the primary purpose is the provision of educational information about, among other things, financial planning, investing in securities or mutual fund industry matters.
15. Similarly, under subsection 5.5(a) of NI 81-105, the Filer is permitted to pay to a participating dealer part of the direct costs the participating dealer incurs in organizing or presenting at a conference or seminar that is not an investor conference or investor seminar referred to in section 5.1 of NI 81-105, where the primary purpose is the provision of educational information about, among other things, financial planning, investing in securities or mutual fund industry matters.
16. The Filer will not require participating dealers to sell any of its Funds or other financial products to investors as a condition of the Filer's sponsorship of a Cooperative Marketing Initiative.
17. The Filer will pay for its sponsorship of a Cooperative Marketing Initiative out of its normal sources of revenue. Accordingly, the sponsorship cost will not be borne by the Funds.
Decision
The principal regulator is satisfied that the decision meets the test set out in the Legislation for the principal regulator to make the decision.
The decision of the principal regulator under the Legislation is that the Exemption Sought is granted, provided that in respect of a Cooperative Marketing Initiative whose primary purpose is to provide educational information concerning Financial Planning matters:
(a) the Filer otherwise complies with the requirements of subsections 5.1(b) through (e) of NI 81-105;
(b) the Filer does not require any participating dealer to sell any of its Funds or other financial products to investors;
(c) other than as permitted by NI 81-105, the Filer does not provide participating dealers and their representatives with any financial or other incentives for recommending any of its Funds to investors;
(d) the materials presented in a Cooperative Marketing Initiative concerning Financial Planning matters contain only general educational information about such matters;
(e) the Filer prepares or approves the content of the general educational information about Financial Planning matters presented in a Cooperative Marketing Initiative it sponsors and selects or approves an appropriately-qualified speaker for each presentation about such matters delivered in a Cooperative Marketing Initiative;
(f) any general educational information about Financial Planning matters presented in a Cooperative Marketing Initiative contains an express statement that the content presented is for information purposes only, and is not providing advice to the attendees of the investor conference or investor seminar or the recipients of the sales communication, as applicable; and
(g) any general educational information about Financial Planning matters presented in a Cooperative Marketing Initiative contains an indication of the types of professionals who may generally be qualified to provide advice on the subject matter of the information presented.
"Lawrence P. Haber"
Commissioner
Ontario Securities Commission
"Mary Anne De Monte-Whelan"
Commissioner
Ontario Securities Commission