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August 11, 2006 SEC Chairman Christopher Cox Dear SEC Chairman Cox, Mutual funds are an increasingly important savings vehicle for tens of millions of working Americans like me. We are the owners of these funds and we bear the risks if they are dominated by self-interested insiders. We look to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to protect us. I am writing to express my strong support for the proposed rule requiring that mutual fund boards have an independent chairperson and at least 75 percent independent directors. These rules were among the most important reforms adopted by the SEC in the wake of the mutual fund trading and sales abuse scandals. I do vote for the management of my mutual funds, but I have no way to know the details of who does what. I generally find my fund responsible, as far as I know, but as mutual funds more and more become the investment vehicle for those of us in the middle income group we need some assurance that the funds are not managed to the advantace of the board rather than of the investors. A recent study by AFSCME and The Corporate Library found mutual funds provide a rubber stamp for excessive management pay, supporting more than three-quarters of all management pay proposals. Ninety percent of institutional investors think the current system overpays executives. We need independent directors to stand up to the excesses of the money managers. The Investment Company Act requires that mutual funds be managed in the interests of their shareholders. Requiring independent directors and chairpersons will help ensure this safeguard for the small investor, to make sure the little person gets a fair shake. Sincerely,
Susan Hill
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