FIRST
AMENDMENT
TO
THE
WORLD
ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION
2002
STOCK OPTION PLAN
This
First Amendment to the World Acceptance Corporation 2002 Stock Option Plan
is
made and entered into effective as of January 1, 2008.
WHEREAS,
World
Acceptance Corporation ("Company") adopted the World Acceptance Corporation
2002
Stock Option Plan, effective May 14, 2002, attached hereto as Exhibit A and
incorporated herein by reference ("Plan"); and
WHEREAS,
in
response to the enactment of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A, the Company
has
determined that the Plan should be amended to clarify that the Plan is intended
to qualify for the exemptions from the application of Section 409A for ISOs
under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(ii), NQOs under Treasury
Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(i)(A), and restricted Stock under Treasury
Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(6), and to clarify that the Plan provides for
no
feature for the deferral of compensation.
NOW,
THEREFORE,
the
Plan is hereby amended as follows.
1.
Section 5.2(f) of the Plan is amended to read as follows:
(f) In
the
event of a corporate transaction involving the Company (including, without
limitation, any stock dividend, stock split, extraordinary cash dividend,
recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off,
combination or exchange of shares), the Committee shall adjust Awards to
preserve the benefits or potential benefits of the Awards. Action by the
Committee shall include, as applicable: (i) adjustment of the number and kind
of
shares which may be delivered under the Plan; (ii) adjustment of the number
and
kind of shares subject to outstanding Awards; (iii) adjustment of the Exercise
Price of outstanding Options; and (iv) any other adjustments that the Committee
determines to be equitable and consistent with the provisions of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(v).
2.
Section 5.5 of the Plan is amended to read as follows:
5.5 Grant
and Use of Awards.
In the
discretion of the Committee, a Participant may be granted any Award permitted
under the provisions of the Plan, and more than one Award may be granted to
a
Participant. Subject to the overall limitation on the number of shares of Stock
that may be delivered under the Plan, the Committee may use available shares
of
Stock as the form of payment for compensation, grants or rights earned or due
under any other compensation plans or arrangements of the Company or a
Subsidiary, including the plans and arrangements of the Company or a Subsidiary
assumed in business combinations.
3.
Section 5.6 of the Plan is amended to read as follows:
5.6 Dividends
and Dividend Equivalents.
An
Award (including without limitation an Option) may provide the Participant
with
the right to receive dividend payments or dividend equivalent payments with
respect to Stock subject to the Award (both before and after the Stock subject
to the Award is earned, vested, or acquired), which payments shall be made
currently, and may be settled in cash or Stock, as determined by the Committee.
4.
Section 5.7 of the Plan is amended to read as follows:
5.7 Settlement
of Awards.
The
obligation to make payments and distributions with respect to Awards may be
satisfied through cash payments, the delivery of shares of Stock, or combination
thereof as the Committee shall determine. Satisfaction of any such obligations
under an Award, which is sometimes referred to as “settlement” of the Award,
shall not be subject to any conditions, restrictions or contingencies. Each
Subsidiary shall be liable for payment of cash due under the Plan with respect
to any Participant to the extent that such benefits are attributable to the
services rendered for that Subsidiary by the Participant. Any disputes relating
to liability of a Subsidiary for cash payments shall be resolved by the
Committee.
5.
Section 7.2(b) of the Plan is amended to read as follows:
(b) To
the
extent that the Committee determines that the restrictions imposed hereby
preclude the achievement of the material purposes of the Awards in jurisdictions
outside the United States, the Committee will have the authority and discretion
to modify those restrictions as the Committee determines to be necessary or
appropriate to conform to applicable requirements or practices of jurisdictions
outside of the United States. Specifically, and without limiting the foregoing,
Awards under this Plan are intended to be exempt from the provisions of Section
409A of the Internal Revenue Code and all regulations and rules promulgated
thereunder. Notwithstanding any other provision herein, the Committee and the
Board shall have the authority to revise any of the terms and provisions hereof
to the extent necessary to cause Awards to be exempt from Section 409A and
all
regulations and rules promulgated thereunder.
6.
Section 9(c) of the Plan is amended to read as follows:
(c) Change
in
Control. The term “Change in Control” means a “change in control event” as
defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).
7.
Section 9(f) of the Plan is amended to read as follows:
(f) Fair
Market Value.
For
purposes of determining the “Fair Market Value” of a share of Stock as of any
date, the following rules shall apply:
(i) If
the
principal market for the Stock is a national securities exchange or the Nasdaq
stock market, then the “Fair Market Value” as of that date shall be the closing
price of the Stock on the immediately preceding date on the principal exchange
or market on which the Stock is then listed or admitted to trading.
(ii) If
sale
prices are not available or if the principal market for the Stock is not a
national securities exchange and the Stock is not quoted on the Nasdaq stock
market, then the “Fair Market Value” as of that date shall be determined in good
faith by the Committee using a reasonable application of a reasonable valuation
method consistent with the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section
1.409A-1(b)(5)(iv)(B).
(iii) If
the
immediately preceding date is not a business day, and as a result, clause
(i) above is inapplicable, the Fair Market Value of the Stock shall be
determined as of the next earlier business day.
8.
Section 9(h) of the Plan is amended to read as follows:
(h) Stock.
The
term “Stock” shall mean shares of common stock of the Company which satisfy the
requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iii).
9.
Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the same definitions
given to them under the Plan.
10.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan, no Award or Plan provision
shall be construed as providing a Participant with a right to defer payment
of
an Award or as a feature for the deferral of compensation.
11.
The
Plan shall remain in full force and effect as modified by the terms of this
amendment.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF,
the
Company has executed this First Amendment to the Plan this _____ day of
_____________, 2007.
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WORLD
ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION
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By:
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A.
Alexander McLean, III, CEO
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