EX-99.(H)(C)(3) 5 d919803dex99hc3.htm EX-99.(H)(C)(3) EX-99.(h)(c)(3)

AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (the “Life Company”), Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust (the “Trust”), and Neuberger Berman BD LLC (“NBBD”), formerly Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. (“NB Management”), entered into a participation agreement dated April 30, 2007, as amended by superseding, previous Amendment No. 1, dated January 4, 2021 (together, the “Participation Agreement”). This Amendment No. 2 (the “Amendment”) to the Participation Agreement is entered into as of July 24, 2024, by and among the Life Company, on its own behalf and on behalf of each separate account of the Life Company as set forth in the Participation Agreement, as may be amended from time to time (individually and collectively the “Accounts”), the Trust and NBBD (collectively, the “Parties”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Participation Agreement among the Parties, the Life Company invests in shares of certain of the portfolios of the Trust (each a “Fund,” collectively, the “Funds”) as a funding vehicle for the Separate Accounts that issue variable annuity and/or life insurance contracts (the “Variable Contracts”) to persons that are registered owners of such Variable Contracts on the books and records of the Life Company (the “Contract Owners”);

WHEREAS, the Separate Accounts are registered as unit investment trusts under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”);

WHEREAS, the Life Company, on behalf of the Accounts, has certain obligations pursuant to Rule 30e-2 under the 1940 Act to deliver Fund shareholder reports to Contract Owners, which obligations may currently be satisfied by compliance with Rule 30e-3 under the 1940 Act (“Rule 30e-3”);

WHEREAS, Amendment No. 1 was entered into by the Parties to, among other things, ensure compliance with Rules 30e-3 and 498A, but the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has revoked the ability of the Life Company, on behalf of Funds, to rely on Rule 30e-3 to satisfy its obligation to deliver Fund shareholder reports to Contract Owners for shareholder reports with periods ending June 30, 2024 or later; and

WHEREAS, the Life Company still intends to host a website in compliance with Rule 498A with respect to prospectuses and summary prospectuses;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, which consideration is full and complete, the Life Company, the Trust, and NBBD hereby agree to supplement and amend Amendment No. 1 to the Participation Agreement as follows:

The first paragraph of Section 1(a) is hereby replaced in its entirety with:

 

  (a)

Fund Documents. The Trust is responsible for preparing and providing the

 

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  following “Fund Documents,” as specified in paragraph (j)(1)(iii) of Rule 498A:

Section 1(a)(iv) is hereby replaced in its entirety with:

(iv).  Most Recent Armiral and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders (under Rule 30e-1 under the 1940 Act) for the Funds (together, the “Shareholder Reports”).

Sections 1(a)(v) and (vi) are hereby deleted in their entirety.

Section 1(b) is hereby replaced in its entirety with:

 

  (b)

Deadline for Providing, and Currentness of, Fund Documents. The Trust and/or NBBD shall provide the Fund Documents on a timely basis (to facilitate any required website posting or delivery in compliance with Rule 30e-2). Nothing in this section is intended to limit any cutTent understanding or arrangement among the parties with respect to the provision of Fund Documents required for printing, delivery or other purposes.

Section 1(c)(i) is hereby replaced in its entirety with:

(i)  are both human-readable and capable of being printed on paper in human-readable format (in accordance with paragraph (h)(2)(i) of Rule 498A); and

Section 1(d) is hereby replaced in its entirety with:

 

  (d)

Website Hosting. The Life Company shall host and maintain the website specified in paragraph (j)(1)(iii) of Rule 498A, so that the Fund Documents are publicly accessible, free of charge, at that website, in accordance with the conditions set forth in that paragraph, provided that the Fund and NBBD fulfill their obligations under this Amendment to the extent such obligations are necessarily relied upon by the Life Company to host and maintain the website in accordance with these rules.

Section 1(f) is hereby replaced in its entirety with:

 

  (f)

Website Hosting and Notice Expense Allocation. To the extent agreed upon by the Parties in good faith as to amount, timing and other parameters, NBBD and/or the Trust shall bear their proportionate reasonable costs of posting, maintaining, and managing the Fund Documents on the website hosted by the Life Company to the extent the parties rely on Rule 498A. From tirne to time, the Parties shall review these arrangements to determine whether it reasonably approximates the Life Company’s incurred and anticipated costs (both ‘soft’ intemal costs and `hard’ external costs) of posting, maintaining, and managing the Fund Documents on the website hosted by the Life Company. The Parties agree to negotiate in good faith any change to these expense allocations proposed by a Party. Unless specifically superseded by reliance on Rule 498A by the Parties, nothing in this section is intended to limit any current understanding or arrangement among the Parties with respect to the provision of Fund

 

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  documents required for printing, delivery or other purposes, or the terms of any existing administrative services agreement, Rule 12b-1 agreement or related agreement, Servicing Agreement or other similar agreement between the Parties. Without regard to expense allocation, the Life Company shall be responsible for fulfilling ad hoc requests from Contract Owners for a paper copy of any of the Fund Documents on the website.

Section 1(g) is hereby deleted in its entirety.

Section 3 is hereby replaced in its entirety with:

3.   Provision of Fund Documents for Paper Delivery. The Trust and NBBD shall, per existing expense allocation and other understandings among the parties, provide the Life Company copies of Fund Documents as may be required to meet any requests from Contract Owners (see paragraphs (i)(1) and (j)(3) of Rule 498A), which may include, the provision of such electronic or other documentation (including “camera ready” copies of the current Fund Documents as set in type, or at the request of the Life Company, a diskette in a form suitable to be sent to a financial printer), and such other assistance as is reasonably necessary to have the then cuiTent Fund Documents printed for distribution.

Section 6 is hereby replaced in its entirety with:

6.   Construction of this Amendment; Participation Agreement.

(a). This Amendment shall be interpreted to be consistent with, and to facilitate compliance with and reliance on, Rule 498A (including paragraph (j) thereof) under the 1933 Act and any interpretations of those Rules by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, its staff, courts, or other appropfiate legal authorities.

(b). To the extent the terms of this Amendment conflict with the terms of the Participation Agreement or Amendment No. 1, the terms of this Amendment shall control; otherwise, and except as otherwise specifically set forth in this Amendment, the terms of the Participation Agreement, Amendment No. 1 and/or other understandings or arrangements among the Parties shall continue to apply, and shall apply to the duties, responsibilities, rights and obligations of the Parties under and pursuant to this Amendment.

Counterparts and Delivery. This Amendment No. 2 may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one instrument. A signed copy of this Amendment No. 2 delivered by facsimile or by emailing a copy in .pdf form shall be treated as an original and shall bind all Parties just as would the exchange of originally signed copies.

[Signature page follows.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Amendment to be executed as of the date first above written.

 

  THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
  (on behalf of itself and each Account)
  By:   

LOGO

 

  
  Name:    Jason Handal   
  Title:    Vice President   
  NEUBERGER BERMAN ADVISERS MANAGEMENT TRUST
  By:   

LOGO     

  
  Name:    Brian Kerrane   
  Title:    COO & Vice President - Mutual Funds   
  NEUBERGER BERMAN BD LLC
  By:   

LOGO     

  
  Name:    Brian Kerrane   
  Title:    Managing Director   

 

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