Provide incentives for selected executives that encourage tenure with your company?
Remain competitive in the marketplace for talented managers?
Provide retirement benefits commensurate with executive pay?
Create management benefit packages that will motivate long-term performance?
Help assure returns to shareholders that only top performers can deliver?
Upgrade management benefits without jeopardizing the tax-preferred status of your qualified pension plan?
How will my ESOP plan benefit my retirement preparedness? Our planning process will allow you to understand the importance of plan participation.
Qualified pension plans and social security provide little incentive for talented executives to improve returns for your shareholders – or even to remain with your company. In fact, qualified plan benefits can be an incentive for executives to leave, because of early vesting and full portability.
Qualified plans may not provide top executives with retirement benefits that are in line with their pre-retirement pay levels or with their contribution to shareholder value. They provide too little benefit for too many people.
Based upon recent studies by the American Society of Pension Actuaries, due to qualified plan and social security caps, higher paid executives will typically retire at 30-50% of their pay. That’s far below the 70-90% of final salary your lower-paid employees will likely receive in retirement (“Income Replacement in Retirement” by Robert D. Lebenson, MSPA; published by the ASPA National Retirement Income Policy Committee, © 1994).
Because of this disparity, and the competition for talented managers, companies may create supplemental plans for their top executives.
Provide additional post-retirement income for selected executives.
Establish performance benchmarks that must be attained before supplemental retirement benefits are awarded.
Require continued employment for executives to reap benefits (“golden handcuffs”) & protect them for change-of-control risk (“golden parachutes”).
Comply with limited ERISA restrictions on participation, funding and vesting.
Provide performance-based incentives for executives.
Replace benefits lost when an executive leaves a previous employer to work for your company.
For the Company - Remain competitive in the market for executives who have the talent to make a difference for shareholders.
For the Executive - Achieve greater retirement security as a reward for superior performance.
The information provided in this "Key Employee Benefit" section is based on interpretation and understanding of current tax law. The views expressed are not legal opinions and should not be construed as such. You must seek independent tax and legal counsel for advice in applying this information. - This information has been provided courtesy of New York Life Executive Benefits L.L.C. (NYLEX Benefits) and affiliate of New York Life Insurance Company.