A: Your contract will be tailored to the individual needs of your business. There will be a one-time implementation fee and a monthly fee thereafter. You will find the value and ease of working with Phoenix American far superior to the expense and difficulty of purchasing the equipment and maintaining the staff to perform these functions in-house.

A: Phoenix American offers multiple VPN (Virtual Private Network) and dial-up solutions for full access to your data in any application. We maintain strict controls regarding access to all applications, networks, servers, and databases. Only authorized Phoenix American staff and your designated employees will have direct access to your data. The STAR-XMS system also has security settings that allow your personnel to access only the data they need.

A: A dedicated account manager will be assigned as your point of contact. Your account manager will respond to any questions you may have, investigate concerns, oversee account activity and coordinate any adjustments that might be needed. A knowledgeable backup account manager will also be assigned to your team to ensure that answers and service will always be available.

A: No. Your company will retain full management control at all times. Phoenix American is engaged solely as your administrative provider. We can act transparently as a single source provider of any range of investor or accounting services. We provide you the flexibility to outsource any aspect of your investment administration, leaving you in complete control.

A: Phoenix American eliminates the overhead of specialized, full-time in-house administration. Our unique regimen of checks and balances will eliminate problems and accelerate your workflow. Phoenix American investor administration services will design a customized solution. The STAR-XMS system is fully supported by Phoenix American and is located in our in-house data center. You benefit from our personnel and technology infrastructure through Phoenix American's economies of scale. Our trained and experienced staff, committed to delivering high quality service and support, provides you with superior investor services at economical prices.

A: No. The STAR-XMS system is a web-based system and no special hardware or software is required.

A: Confidentiality is assured with comprehensive system security that you control. All employees of Phoenix American Financial Services who access client data undergo thorough background checks and our average employee tenure is over ten years. We also have systems in place that meet or exceed requirements set by the SEC including a SOC 1, Type II audit.

A: Phoenix American will work with you to establish the period-end dates and closing time frames you prefer and plan for the associated reporting requirements. Statutory statements are completed by their respective due dates. Financial statements can either be mailed or sent electronically. You will also have access to historical records through your Web Portal.

A: As part of our standard accounting solution, Phoenix American will generate industry specific transactional and period-end reports as well as internal managerial financial reports. With our Premium Services offering, Phoenix American will create full financial statements for all types of external reporting, including SEC filings via EDGAR.

A: Phoenix American will receive and process pre-approved vendor invoices, then issue checks as needed. All vendor payments will be required to have a final approval by you before a payment is released.

A: Yes. Phoenix American not only offers, but encourages the use of Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT) through our banking services. All EFT transactions, excluding direct wires, are sent through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) governed by the Federal Reserve System’s Regulations and the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA).

A: Two methods are available. Manual checks may be issued out of your office or payments may be issued by Phoenix American. There are costs associated with receiving, processing, approving and disbursing a rush payment. The volume and frequency of these types of disbursements usually determine which method will work best for you.

A: The preferred method is a lockbox for checks and electronic receipts. However, whatever alternative you prefer, Phoenix American will work with you to meet your needs. All daily receipts will be processed within the prescribed time frames.

A: Yes. Depending on the bank account set up, Phoenix American can receive and process electronic transfer information into our accounting software.

A: Phoenix American will handle any and all banking issues relating to the transfer of funds on your behalf for accounts payable and accounts receivable processing. We have experience working with all types of financial institutions including local banks, national banks and money market investment funds.

A: Depending on the arrangement you prefer, Phoenix American may have limited, pre-approved, authorized access to your account for electronic transfers and/or authorization to speak with the bank on your behalf as needed for treasury services.

A: All EFT transactions, excluding direct wires, are sent through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) governed by the Federal Reserve System’s Regulations and the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA). Direct wires are sent directly to or from your bank account for secure transmissions.

A: Yes. The professionals at Phoenix American are trained in all aspects of EDGAR conversion and filing. Those individuals attend regular seminars to stay up to date on the latest SEC requirements.

A: Phoenix American starts with the core financial information and works with your financial, legal, and management personnel to gather the information that cannot be derived from accounting transactions.

A: As part of our Premium Services offering, the Phoenix American service team is available to answer any audit questions on transactions we have processed. We also prepare workpaper files to support the quarterly and year-end transactions. The audit can take place in our office or at a location of your choice through phone and electronic communication.

A: Yes. The tax department will send returns and backup to you for review and approval. If a tax payment is required, the information provided will allow you to create the payment request.

A: Phoenix American signs sales, use, property and miscellaneous annual tax returns as the paid preparer. The benefit of this external review process is to provide you with added assurance of a complete and accurate return. Phoenix American requires income tax returns be reviewed and signed by your CPA.

A: Yes. Phoenix American files sales, property, and income tax returns in all 50 states and numerous local jurisdictions. Utilizing our internet and tax software, Phoenix American's tax professionals have access to all tax laws and forms. Through our years of experience, Phoenix American has developed a network of contacts in numerous jurisdictions and can call upon them as needed. We also file taxes for our international clients.

A: Inform your Tax Representative at Phoenix American. He or she will explain the audit process and review the tax returns filed in the audit period. Phoenix American will gather copies of tax returns filed and any workpapers supporting those returns and provide them to you. Audit support can handle the audit from our office. Phoenix American has extensive experience representing clients in sales, use, property and income tax audits at the federal, state and local levels. Phoenix American benefits from the many contacts in various taxing jurisdictions we have made through our years of experience.

A: Yes. Regular software and hardware upgrades are built into our long term plan and will be routinely added to our infrastructure so you are assured of keeping up with the most current technological developments.

A: Our infrastructure is built with redundancy across all critical network points with the security of a PIX firewall. Our Cisco partnership and Sun servers allow us to deliver a Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution with 24/7 access and monitoring. Regular maintenance occurs during scheduled maintenance windows announced well in advance and timed for the greatest convenience to our clients.