EX-99.AUDITCONSENT 4 auditconsent.txt Exhibit p under Form N-1A Exhibit 99 under Item 601/Reg. S-K CODE OF ETHICS FOR ACCESS PERSONS Revised June 28, 2000 Table of Contents Section Page 1. General Fiduciary Principles 2 2. Definitions 2 3. Exempt Transactions 4 4. Prohibited Transactions and Activities 4 5. Pre-clearance Requirement and Exempted 5 Transactions 7 6 Prohibition on the Receipt of Gifts 7 Reporting Requirements 7 ---------------------- Initial Reporting Requirements 7 Quarterly Reporting Requirements 8 Annual Reporting Requirements 8 Exemption for Disinterested Directors 9 8 Sanctions 9 Procedures for the Reporting and Review of 11 Personal Transaction Activity 16 INDEPENDENCE ONE MUTUAL FUNDS MICHIGAN NATIONAL BANK INDEPENDENCE ONE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT CORPORATION CODE OF ETHICS REGARDING PERSONAL SECURITIES TRADING Pursuant to rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, this Code of Ethics has been adopted on behalf of the Adviser and the Funds.* 1. General Fiduciary Principles a) Each Access Person: i) must place the Funds' interests ahead of the Access Person's personal interests; ii) must avoid conflicts or apparent conflicts of interest with the Funds; and iii) must conduct his or her personal transactions in a manner which neither interferes with Fund portfolio transactions nor otherwise takes unfair or inappropriate advantage of the Access Person's relationship to the Fund. The failure to recommend or purchase a Covered Security for the Fund may be considered a violation of this Code. b) Every Access Person must adhere to these general fiduciary principles, as well as comply with the specific provisions and Associated Procedures of this Code. Technical compliance with the terms of this Code and the Associated Procedures may not be sufficient where the transactions undertaken by an Access Person show a pattern of abuse of the Access Person's fiduciary duty. 2. Definitions a) The "1940 Act" means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. b) "Access Person" means any director, trustee, officer, managing general partner, general partner, or Advisory Person of the Fund or Independence One Capital Management Corporation ("IOCM"), and all family members permanently residing in the same household; and with respect to Michigan National Bank ("MNB") it means any director, officer, general partner or Advisory Person of MNB who, with respect to the Fund, makes any recommendation, participates in the determination of which recommendation will be made, or whose principal function or duties related to the determination of which recommendation will be made, or who, in connection with his or her duties, obtains any information concerning recommendations on Covered Securities being made by the Adviser to any Fund, and all family members permanently residing in the same household. (If non-family members also reside in the household, the Access Person must either declare that the Access Person has no influence on the investment decisions of the other party or the Access Person must report the party as an Access Person). c) "Adviser" means Michigan National Bank and/or Independence One Capital Management Corporation. d) "Advisory Person" means (i) any employee of the Adviser or of any company in a control relationship to MNB or IOCM, who, in connection with the employee's regular functions or duties, makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding the purchases or sales of a Covered Security by the Fund, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales; and (ii) any natural person in a control relationship to the Fund who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Fund with regard to the purchase or sale of a Covered Security. e) "Associated Procedures" means those policies, procedures and/or statements that have been adopted by MNB, IOCM or the Fund, and which are designed to supplement this Code and its provisions. f) "Beneficial ownership" will be attributed to an Access Person in all instances where the Access Person (i) possesses the ability to purchase or sell the Covered Securities (or the ability to direct the disposition of the Covered Securities); (ii) possesses voting power (including the power to vote or to direct the voting) over such Covered Securities; or (iii) receives any benefits substantially equivalent to those of ownership. Beneficial ownership shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be in determining whether a person is subject to the provisions of Section 16a-1(a)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the rules and regulations thereunder, except that the determination of direct or indirect beneficial ownership shall apply to all Covered Securities which an Access Person has or acquires. g) "Control" shall have the same meaning as that set forth in Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act. h) Except as provided in this definition, "Covered Security" shall include any Security, including without limitation: equity and debt securities; derivative securities, including options on and warrants to purchase equity or debt securities; shares of closed-end investment companies; investments in unit investment trusts; and Related Securities. "Related Securities" are instruments and securities that are related to, but not the same as, a Covered Security. For example, a Related Security may be convertible into a Covered Security, or give its holder the right to purchase the Covered Security. For purposes of reporting, "Covered Security" shall include futures, swaps and other derivative contracts. "Covered Security" shall not include: direct obligations of the Government of the United States (regardless of their maturities); bankers' acceptances; bank certificates of deposit; commercial paper; high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; and shares of registered open-end investment companies. i) "Disinterested director" means a director, trustee, or managing general partner of the Fund who is not an "interested person" of the Fund within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. j) "Fund" means the Independence One Mutual Funds, an investment company registered under the 1940 Act (and any series or portfolios of such companies). k) "Initial Public Offering" means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. l) "IOCM" means Independence One Capital Management Corporation. m) "MNB" means Michigan National Bank. n) "Private Placement" or "limited offering" means an offering that is exempt from registration under Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) of the Securities Act of 1933 or pursuant to rule 504, rule 505 or rule 506 under the Securities Act of 1933. o) "Purchase or sale of a Covered Security" includes, inter alia, the writing of an option, future or other derivative contract to purchase or sell a Covered Security. p) "Security" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act. q) "Underwriter" means Federated Securities Corporation. 3. Exempt Transactions The prohibitions or requirements of Section 4 and Section 5 of this Code shall not apply to: a) Purchases or sales of the following Securities: i) direct obligations of the Government of the United States (regardless of their maturities). This exemption does not apply to indirect obligations of the U.S. Government, including FNMAs, GNMAs or FHLMCs. ii) bankers' acceptances; iii) bank certificates of deposit; iv) commercial paper; v) high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; and vi) shares of registered open-end investment companies. b) Purchases or sales effected in any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control. 4. Prohibited Transactions and Activities a) Every Access Person is prohibited from acquiring any Security in an Initial Public Offering, a Private Placement or other limited offering, without the express prior approval of the Committee established by the Director of Compliance (or his designee). The Committee will not approve any request that is solicited by a broker/dealer or that influences or promotes the broker/dealer's actual or prospective business with the Fund. Further, while all such activity is strongly discouraged, the Committee will carefully consider any request that is for the purpose of acquiring these types of securities with regard to entities in which friends or family of the Access Person are associated in some capacity. In instances where an Access Person, after receiving prior approval, acquires a Security in a private placement, the Access Person has an affirmative obligation to disclose this investment to the Chief Investment Officer (or his designee) if the Access Person participates in any subsequent consideration of any potential investment by the Fund in the issuer of that Security. Following a purchase by an Access Person in an approved personal transaction, any purchase by the Fund of Securities issued by the same company (other than secondary market purchases of publicly traded Securities) will be subject to an independent review by the Director of Compliance (or his designee). b) All Access Persons are prohibited from serving on the boards of directors of any issuer of a Covered Security, absent express prior authorization from Director of Compliance (or his designee). Authorization to serve on the board of such a company may be granted in instances where the Director of Compliance (or his designee) determines that such board service would be consistent with the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. If prior approval to serve as a director of a company is granted, Access Persons have an affirmative duty to recuse themselves from participating in any deliberations by the Fund regarding possible investments in the securities issued by the company on whose board the Access Person sit. c) Every Access Person is prohibited from purchasing or selling, directly or indirectly, any Covered Security, except for the Securities comprising the S&P 100 Index, in which he or she has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, a direct or indirect beneficial ownership interest and which he or she knows, or should have known, at the time of such purchase or sale: i) is being considered for purchase or sale by the Fund; or ii) is being purchased or sold by the Fund. d) Every Access Person is prohibited, in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, by the Access Person of a Security Held or to be Acquired by the Fund: iii) from employing any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Fund; iv) from making any untrue statement of a material fact to the Fund or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to the Fund, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; v) from engaging in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on the Fund; or vi) from engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to the Fund. Examples of this would include causing the Fund to purchase a Covered Security owned by the Access Person for the purpose of supporting or driving up the price of the Covered Security, and causing the Fund to refrain from selling a Covered Security in an attempt to protect the value of the Access Person's investment, such as an outstanding option. One test which will be applied in determining whether this prohibition has been violated will be to review the Covered Securities transactions of Access Persons for patterns. However, it is important to note that a violation could result from a single transaction if the circumstances warranted a finding that the provisions of Section 1 of this Code have been violated. e) Notwithstanding the other restrictions of this Code to which Disinterested directors are subject, subparagraphs (a) through (d) of this Section 4 shall not apply to Disinterested directors. 5. Pre-clearance Requirement and Exempted Transactions a) Every Access Person is prohibited from executing a personal transaction in any Covered Security, (including transactions in pension or profit-sharing plans in which the Access Person has a beneficial interest), without express prior approval of the Director of Compliance (or his designee) in accordance with the Associated Procedures governing pre-clearance. A purchase or sale of Covered Securities not otherwise approved pursuant to the Associated Procedures may, upon request made prior to the personal transaction, nevertheless receive the approval of the Director of Compliance (or his designee) if such purchase or sale would be: only remotely potentially harmful to the Fund; very unlikely to affect a highly institutional market; or clearly not related economically to the securities to be purchased, sold or held by the Fund. Notwithstanding the receipt of express prior approval, any purchases or sales by any Access Person undertaken in reliance on this provision remain subject to the prohibitions enumerated in Section 4 of this Code. b) The pre-clearance requirement in Section 5(a) shall not apply to: i) Purchases or sales which are non-volitional on the part of either the Access Person or the Fund, subject to the provisions of Section 4 (d) of this Code. ii) Purchases which are either made solely with the dividend proceeds received in a dividend reinvestment plan; or part of an automatic payroll deduction plan, whereby an employee purchases securities issued by an employer. iii) Purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its Covered Securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and any sales of such rights so acquired. iv) Purchases and sales of a Security that represents an interest in certain indices as determined by the Director of Compliance (or his designee). v) Transactions in a Covered Security which involve the giving of gifts or charitable donations. vi) Purchases and sales of Covered Securities executed by a person deemed to be an Access Person solely by reason of his position as an Officer and/or Director or Trustee of the Fund. This exemption does not apply to those persons who are officers and/or Directors of an Underwriter or Adviser. c) Notwithstanding the other restrictions of this Code to which Disinterested directors are subject, Section 5 shall not apply to Disinterested directors. 6. Prohibition on the Receipt of Gifts Every Access Person is prohibited from receiving any gift, favor, preferential treatment, valuable consideration, or other thing of more than a de minimis value in any year from any person or entity from, to or through whom the Fund purchases or sells Securities, or an issuer of Securities. For purposes of this Code, "de minimis value" is equal to $100 or less. This prohibition shall not apply to: i) salaries, wages, fees or other compensation paid, or expenses paid or reimbursed, in the usual scope of an Access Person's employment responsibilities for the Access Person's employer; ii) the acceptance of meals, refreshments or entertainment of reasonable value in the course of a meeting or other occasion, the purpose of which is to hold bona fide business discussions; iii) the acceptance of advertising or promotional material of nominal value, such as pens, pencils, note pads, key chains, calendars and similar items; iv) the acceptance of gifts, meals, refreshments, or entertainment of reasonable value that are related to commonly recognized events or occasions, such as a promotion, new job, Christmas, or other recognized holiday; or v) the acceptance of awards, from an employer to an employee, for recognition of service and accomplishment. 7. Reporting Every Access Person is required to submit reports of transactions in Covered Securities to the Director of Compliance (or his designee) as indicated below. Any such report may contain a statement that the report shall not be construed as an admission by the person making such report that he or she has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the Covered Security to which the report relates. Initial Reporting Requirements a) Within 10 calendar days of commencement of employment as an Access Person, the Access Person will provide a list including: i) the title, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership when the person became an Access Person; ii) the name of any broker, dealer or bank maintaining an account in which any Security was held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person as of the date of employment as an Access Person; and iii) the date the report is submitted to the Director or Compliance (or his designee). b) Every Access Person is required to direct his broker to forward to the Director of Compliance (or his designee), on a timely basis, duplicate copies of both confirmations of all personal transactions in Covered Securities effected for any account in which such Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership interest and periodic statements relating to any such account. Quarterly Reporting Requirements c) Every Access Person shall report the information described in Section 7(d) of this Code with respect to transactions in any Covered Security (other than those personal transactions in Securities exempted under Section 3 of this Code) in which such Access Person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership. d) Every report shall be made not later than 10 calendar days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction to which the report relates was effected, shall be dated and signed by the Access Person submitting the report, and shall contain the following information: i) the date of the transaction, the title and the number of shares, the principal amount, the interest rate and maturity date, if applicable of each Covered Security involved; ii) the nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition); iii) the price at which the transaction was effected; iv) the name of the broker, dealer or bank through whom the transaction was effected; and v) if there were no personal transactions in any Covered Security during the period, either a statement to that effect or the word "None" (or some similar designation). e) Every Access Person shall report any new account established with a broker, dealer or bank in which any Security was transacted or held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person during the quarter. The report shall include the name of the entity with whom the account was established and the date on which it was established. Annual Reporting Requirements f) Every Access Person, on an annual basis or upon request of the Director of Compliance (or his designee), will be required to furnish a list including the following information (which information must be current as of a date no more than 30 days before the report is submitted) within 10 calendar days of the request: i) the title, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership; ii) the name of any broker, dealer or bank maintaining an account in which any Covered Security was held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person; and iii) the date the report is submitted to the Director of Compliance (or his designee). g) In addition, every Access Person is required, on an annual basis, to certify that they have received, read, and understand the provisions of this Code and its Associated Procedures, and that they recognize that they are subject to its provisions. Such certification shall also include a statement that the Access Person has complied with the requirements of this Code and its Associated Procedures and that the Access Person has disclosed or reported all personal transactions in Securities that are required to be disclosed or reported pursuant to the requirements of this Code. Exemption for Disinterested Directors ------------------------------------- h) A Disinterested director is exempt from the "initial reporting requirements" and "annual reporting requirements" contained in Section 6. i) A Disinterested director shall be exempt from the "quarterly reporting requirements" contained in Section 6, so long as at the time of the personal transaction in the Covered Security, the Disinterested director neither knew, nor, in the ordinary course of fulfilling his official duties as a director of the Fund, should have known that during the 15-day period immediately preceding or after the date of the transaction in the Covered Security by the Disinterested director the Covered Security was purchased or sold by the Fund, or considered for purchase or sale. 8. Sanctions a) Upon discovering a violation of this Code or its Associated Procedures, the Director of Compliance (or his designee)(in consultation with the Director of Human Resources) may take such actions or impose such sanctions, if any, as he deems appropriate, including, but not limited to:, i) a letter of censure; ii) suspension; iii) a fine; iv) the unwinding of trades; v) the disgorging of profits; or vi) the termination of the employment of the violator. (In instances where the violation is committed by a member of the Access Person's household, any sanction may be imposed on the Access Person.) b) The filing of any false, incomplete or untimely reports, as required by Section 7 of this Code, may be considered a violation of this Code. c) All material violations of this Code and any sanctions imposed with respect thereto shall be reported to the Board of Directors of the Fund at least annually. Date Broker-Dealer Name Address RE: Your Name Brokerage Account Number: 1234-5678 Dear Sir/Madam: As an employee [relative residing in the household of an employee] of [Adviser], am subject to certain requirements applicable to my personal securities transactions, in accordance with the Codes of Ethics adopted by the various investment companies advised by [Adviser]. These requirements also assist [Adviser] in carrying out its responsibilities under the Insider Trading and Security Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988. Among these requirements is my obligation to provide to [Adviser] duplicate brokerage confirmations and account statements. Therefore, I hereby request that you provide duplicate confirmations and account statements with respect to securities in which I have any beneficial ownership or interest, including securities held in street name or in house, family, joint or partnership accounts. These duplicate account memoranda should occur with respect to all transactions including, but not limited to, those involving options, warrants, shares of closed end investment companies and futures contracts. Please forward this information to: [Adviser] [Address] Any questions concerning these matters can be directed to [name] at [phone number]. Your serious attention to this matter is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, PROCEDURES FOR THE REPORTING AND REVIEW OF PERSONAL TRANSACTION ACTIVITY Initial Reporting Process 1. The Director of Compliance (or his designee) meets with each new Access Person and reviews the Code of Ethics. 2. The Access Person is required to complete the "Certification and Acknowledgment Form" to acknowledge his/her understanding of the Code of Ethics and return it to the Director of Compliance (or his designee) within 10 calendar days. 3. In addition, the Access Person is required to complete the "Personal Security Portfolio Form" which includes the following information: a) the title, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership when the person became an Access Person; b) the name and address of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintained an account in which any Covered Security was held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person as of the date of employment as an Access Person; and c) the date the report is submitted to the Director of Compliance (or his designee). 4. A separate form must be completed for the Access Person and all household members as defined in Section 2(c) of the Code. The signed form(s) must be returned to the Director of Compliance (or his designee) within 10 calendar days. 5. The Director of Compliance (or his designee) maintains current portfolio holdings information as "initial" holdings. 6. The Director of Compliance (or his designee) notifies each broker, dealer or bank that duplicate confirmations and statements for the Access Person [and household members], if applicable, must be sent to the Director of Compliance (or his designee), effective immediately. Quarterly Reporting Process 1. On or around the first business day after each calendar quarter end, the Director of Compliance (or his designee) sends written notification to each Access Person giving step-by-step instructions on how to complete the quarterly reporting requirements. 2. Within 10 calendar days of the quarter end, the Access Person is required to: a) review for accuracy all Covered Security transactions recorded during the previous calendar quarter in all personal and household member accounts; b) review all open account information, including names of brokers, banks and dealers, addresses and account numbers; c) notify the Director of Compliance (or his designee) of any new accounts established with brokers, banks or dealers during the quarter and the date the account was established; and d) resolve any discrepancies with the Director of Compliance (or his designee). 3. Covered Security transactions executed by any Access Person during the calendar quarter are reviewed by the Director of Compliance (or his designee) periodically throughout the quarter. 4. The Director of Compliance (or his designee) issues memos to each Access Person if any transactions he or she has executed during the quarter have been deemed to be either exceptions to or violations of the Code's requirements. 5. Based on the activity and the responses to the memos, the Director of Compliance (or his designee) may impose any of the sanctions identified in Section 8. Annual Reporting Process 1. At least annually, the Director of Compliance (or his designee) requires that each Access Person read the Code and certify and acknowledge his/her understanding of the Code and its requirements. 2. This re-certification is required to be completed within 10 calendar days of the request. The Director of Compliance (or his designee) monitors compliance with this requirement. 3. At the same time, the Director of Compliance (or his designee) provides each Access Person with a current list of securities held in the Access Person's account(s). 4. Within 10 calendar days of the request, the Access Person is required to: a) review for accuracy all securities held in all personal [and household member] accounts, including the title, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership; b) review all open account information, including names of brokers, banks and dealers, addresses and account numbers; c) notify the Director of Compliance (or his designee) of any new accounts established with brokers, banks or dealers; and d) resolve any discrepancies with the Director of Compliance (or his designee). Reporting to the Board of [Directors/Trustees] 1. Each quarter, the Director of Compliance (or his designee) reports any violations of the Code to the Board of [Directors/Trustees]. Violations of the Code include: a) failure to preclear a transaction; b) failure to complete the initial, quarterly or annual reporting requirements timely, regardless of whether the Access Person executed any transactions; c) failure to comply with the receipt of gifts requirements; and d) any trends or patterns of personal securities trading which are deemed by the Director of Compliance (or his designee) to be violations of the Code. 2. The Director of Compliance (or his designee) provides the Board with the name of the Access Person; the type of violation; the details of the transaction(s); and the types of sanctions imposed, if any. Recordkeeping Requirements The Director of Compliance (or his designee) maintains the following books and records for a period no less than 6 calendar years: a) a copy of the Code of Ethics; b) a record of any violation of the Code of Ethics and any action taken as a result of the violation; c) a copy of each report made by an Access Person, including initial, quarterly and annual reporting; d) a record of all Access Persons (current and for the past five years); e) a record of persons responsible for reviewing reports; and f) a copy of any supporting documentation used in making decisions regarding action taken by the Director of Compliance (or his designee) with respect to personal securities trading. ADVISER'S ANNUAL ISSUES AND CERTIFICATION REPORT [Date] Board of Trustees of the Independence One Mutual Funds Re: Annual Issues and Certification Report Under the Code of Ethics ("Code") Required by Rule 17j-1 ("Rule") of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Ladies and Gentlemen: The purpose of this report is to certify to you as Trustees]of the Independence One Mutual Funds that [Adviser Name] has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent [Adviser Name]'s Access Persons, as such term is defined in the Rule, from violating [Adviser Name]'s Code. No issues arose under [Adviser Name]'s Code since [Adviser Name]'s last annual issues and certification report that require your attention. Or The following issues arose under [Adviser Name]'s Code since [Adviser Name]'s last annual issues and certification report: [List all material violations, including violations that are material when aggregated, of the [Adviser Name]'s Code and/or related procedures, and sanctions imposed by [Adviser Name] in response thereto. In addition, list all significant conflicts of interest that arose involving [Adviser Name]'s personal investment policies.] Very truly yours, [Adviser Officer] 106255 -------- * As the context requires, references herein to the singular include the plural and masculine pronouns include the feminine.