General Information on Ameriprise Certificate Company and How it Operates
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACC AND AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL, INC.
ACC was originally organized as Investors Syndicate of America, Inc., a Minnesota corporation, on October 15, 1940, and began business as an issuer of face amount investment certificates on January 1, 1941. The company became a Delaware corporation on October 28, 1977, changed its name to IDS Certificate Company on April 2, 1984, to American Express Certificate Company on April 26, 2000, and to Ameriprise Certificate Company on August 1, 2005.
ACC files reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site (sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
Before ACC was created, Ameriprise Financial (formerly known as American Express Financial Corporation and, before that, IDS Financial Corporation), our parent company, had issued similar certificates since 1894.
CAPITAL STRUCTURE
ACC authorized, issued and has outstanding 150,000 shares of common stock, par value of $10 per share. Ameriprise Financial owns all of the outstanding shares.
SERVICE PROVIDERS
In connection with ACC’s business of issuing and distributing certificates and managing the assets that back the certificates it utilizes a number of service providers. ACC has entered into agreements with several entities, all of which are affiliated with ACC, to provide asset management and administrative services, distribution, transfer agent services, and custody.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SERVICES
Under the Investment Advisory and Services Agreement, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC acts as our investment adviser and is responsible for:
• | providing investment research, |
• | making specific investment recommendations, and |
• | executing purchase and sale orders according to our policy of seeking to obtain the best price and execution. |
All these activities are subject to direction and control by our board of directors and officers. Our agreement with Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC requires annual renewal by our board, including a majority of directors who are not interested persons of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, Ameriprise Financial or ACC as defined in the federal Investment Company Act of 1940.