Manulife Investment Management Limited

Headnote

National Policy 11-203 Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions -- Exemption from subsection 5.1(a) of NI 81-105 Mutual Fund Sales Practices 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 -- subject to conditions.

Applicable Legislative Provisions

National Instrument 81-105 Mutual Fund Sales Practices, ss. 5.1(a) and 9.1.

April 11, 2023

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
MANULIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED (MIML)

DECISION

Background

The principal regulator in the Jurisdiction has received an application from MIML and the affiliates of MIML (each a Filer) for a decision under the securities legislation of the Jurisdiction of the principal regulator (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 National Policy 11-203 -- Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions:

(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 Canadian Jurisdictions).

Interpretation

Terms defined in National Instrument 14-101 -- Definitions, NI 81-105 or in MI 11-102 have the same meaning if used in this decision, unless otherwise defined herein.

Representations

The decision is based on the following facts represented by the Filer:

1. MIML is a corporation amalgamated under the laws of Canada, with its registered head office located in Toronto, Ontario.

2. MIML is currently registered as a portfolio manager in each province and territory of Canada, an investment fund manager in each of Ontario, Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador, a commodity trading manager in Ontario and a derivatives portfolio manager in Québec.

3. The Filer acts and may in the future act as an 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. The Filer complies with NI 81-105, including Part 5 of NI 81-105, in respect of its marketing and educational practices.

5. The Filer is, or will be, a "member of the organization" (as that term is defined in NI 81-105) of the Funds, as the Filer is, or will be, the investment fund manager of the Funds.

The Funds

6. Each of the Funds is, or will be, an open-ended mutual fund established under the laws of Canada or a Canadian 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 Canadian Jurisdiction. Each of the Funds is, or will be, a reporting issuer in one or more Canadian 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. The Filer and the Funds that are reporting issuers at the time of this decision are not in default of securities legislation in any of the Canadian Jurisdictions.

8. Under subsection 5.1(a) of NI 81-105, the Filer is permitted to pay a participating dealer the direct costs incurred by the participating dealer relating to a Cooperative Marketing Initiative if the primary purpose of the Cooperative Marketing Initiative is to promote, or provide educational information concerning a mutual fund, the mutual fund family of which the mutual fund is a member, or mutual funds generally.

9. Subsection 5.1(a) of NI 81-105 does not allow the Filer to pay to a participating dealer the direct costs incurred by the 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 Cooperative Marketing Initiatives 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. 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 is to provide educational information concerning Financial Planning. The Filer will otherwise comply with subsections 5.1(b) through (e) of NI 81-105 in respect of the Cooperative Marketing Initiatives it sponsors.

11. Mutual funds, including the Funds managed by the Filer, can be used to meet a variety of financial goals and accordingly, are regularly used as financial planning tools. The Filer's sponsorship of Cooperative Marketing Initiatives where the primary purpose is to provide educational information about Financial Planning matters may benefit investors as it may facilitate and potentially increase investors' access to educational information on such matters, which may better equip them to make financial decisions that involve mutual funds.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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 that the participating dealer incurs in organizing or presenting at a conference or seminar which 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.

15. 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.

16. The sponsorship cost of a Cooperative Marketing Initiative 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 the 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 the 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.