Ex. 10.6 - DDCP
Exhibit
10.6
CATERPILLAR
INC.
DIRECTORS’
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
(Amended
and
Restated as of January 1, 2005)
CATERPILLAR
INC.
DIRECTORS’
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
(Amended
and
Restated as of January 1, 2005)
PREAMBLE
Previously,
Caterpillar Inc. (the “Company”) adopted the Caterpillar Inc. Directors’
Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) to provide members of its Board of
Directors with an opportunity to defer the payment of compensation. The Plan
has
been amended and/or restated on a number of occasions with the most recent
amendment and restatement being effective as of April 12, 1999. By execution
of
this document, the Company amends and restates the Plan effective as of January
1, 2005 to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended.
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
1.1 General.
When a word or
phrase appears in the Plan with the initial letter capitalized, and the word
or
phrase does not begin a sentence, the word or phrase shall generally be a term
defined in this Article I. The following words and phrases used in the Plan
with the initial letter capitalized shall have the meanings set forth in this
Article I, unless a clearly different meaning is required by the context in
which the word or phrase is used or the word or phrase is defined for a limited
purpose elsewhere in the Plan document:
(a) “Board”
means the Board of
Directors of the Company, or any authorized committee of the Board.
(b) “C+B
Officer”
means
the
Company’s Director of Compensation + Benefits.
(c) “Code”
means the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and any regulations
promulgated thereunder.
(d) “Company”
means Caterpillar
Inc., and, to the extent provided in Section 9.7 (Successors)
below, any
successor corporation or other entity resulting from a merger or consolidation
into or with the Company or a transfer or sale of substantially all of the
assets of the Company.
(e) “Company
Share Equivalent Account”
means the
hypothetical investment fund described in Section 5.4 (Special
Company
Share Equivalent Account Provisions).
(f) “Company
Stock”
means common stock
issued by the Company.
(g) “Compensation”
means the cash
remuneration payable from time to time to a Director for services as a Director.
Compensation shall include such remuneration attributable to annual fees, fees
payable for attendance at meetings and fees payable for other services performed
for or on behalf of the Company. Compensation shall not include expense
reimbursements. Compensation also shall not include equity and equity-equivalent
grants or gains realized on the sale of shares, the exercise or other
disposition of options, or similar transactions related to equity equivalents.
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1
(h) “Deferral
Account”
means
the
bookkeeping account maintained under the Plan to record amounts deferred under
Section 3.3 (Deferrals).
(i) “Deferral
Agreement”
means the deferral
agreement(s) described in Section 3.1 (Deferral
Agreement)
that are entered
into by a Participant pursuant to the Plan.
(j) “Deferrals”
means the
deferrals made by a Participant in accordance with Section 3.3 (Deferrals).
(k) “Director”
means a member of
the Board.
(l) “Disability”
or “Disabled”
means that a
Participant (1) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by
reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can
be
expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period
of not less than 12 months, or (2) is, by reason of any medically determinable
physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can
be
expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving
income replacement benefits for a period of not less than three months under
an
accident and health plan covering employees of the Participant’s
employer.
(m) “Distribution
Election Form”
means
the
election form by which a Participant elects the manner in which his accounts
shall be distributed pursuant to Section 6.3 (Form
of
Distribution).
(n) “Effective
Date”
means January 1,
2005.
(o) “Interest
Fund”
means the
hypothetical investment fund described in Section 5.3 (Special Interest Fund
Provisions).
(p) “Investment
Funds”
means the Interest
Fund and the Caterpillar Share Equivalent Account.
(q) “Key
Employee”
means a “key
employee” as defined in Section 416(i) of the Code without regard to
Section 416(i)(5).
(r) “Participant”
means a Director
who affirmatively elects to participate in the Plan pursuant to Section 2.1
(Eligibility).
(s) “Plan”
means the
Caterpillar Inc. Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan, as set forth
herein.
(t) “Plan
Administrator”
means
the C+B
Officer. The Plan Administrator may delegate his authority hereunder in his
sole
and absolute discretion.
(u) “Plan
Year”
means the calendar
year.
(v) “Separation
from Service”
means
separation
from service as determined in accordance with any regulations, rulings or other
guidance issued by the Department of the Treasury pursuant to Section
409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code, as it may be amended or replaced from time to
time.
(w) “Unforeseeable
Emergency”
means a severe
financial hardship to the Participant resulting from an illness or accident
of
the Participant, the Participant’s spouse, or a dependent (as defined in section
152(a) of the Code) of the Participant, loss of the Participant’s property due
to casualty, or other similar extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances
arising as a result of events beyond the control of the Participant. For
purposes of the Plan, an “Unforeseeable Emergency” shall not include a
Participant’s need to send his or her child to college or a Participant’s desire
to purchase a home.
(x) “Valuation
Date”
means,
except as
otherwise provided herein, the last day of each month of the Plan
Year.
1.2 Construction.
The
masculine
gender, when appearing in the Plan, shall include the feminine gender (and
vice
versa), and the singular shall include the plural, unless the Plan clearly
states to the contrary. Headings and subheadings are for the purpose of
reference only and are not to be considered in the construction of the Plan.
If
any provision of the Plan is determined to be for any reason invalid or
unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
All of the provisions of the Plan shall be construed and enforced according
to
the laws of the State of Illinois and shall be administered according to the
laws of such state, except as otherwise required by ERISA, the Code, or other
Federal law.
ARTICLE
II
ELIGIBILITY
2.1 Eligibility.
Any Director who
is not an Employee of the Company or any of its affiliates is eligible to
participate in the Plan. An eligible Director shall elect to participate in
the
Plan by completing a Deferral Agreement as provided in Section 3.1 (Deferral
Agreement).
ARTICLE
III
DEFERRALS
3.1 Deferral
Agreement.
In order to make
Deferrals, a Participant must complete a Deferral Agreement in the form
prescribed by the Plan Administrator. In the Deferral Agreement, the Participant
shall agree to reduce his Compensation in exchange for Deferrals. The Deferral
Agreement shall be delivered to the Plan Administrator (or his designee) by
the
time specified in Section 3.2 (Timing
of
Deferral Elections).
An election made
by a Participant pursuant to a Deferral Agreement shall be irrevocable with
respect to the Plan Year covered by the election. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the Plan Administrator may permit a Participant to revoke an election if the
Participant has experienced an Unforeseeable Emergency, but only to the extent
that revoking the election would help the Participant meet the related emergency
need.
3.2 Timing
of Deferral Elections.
(a) General
Rule.
Deferral
Agreements shall be completed by the Director and delivered to the Plan
Administrator prior to the beginning of the Plan Year in which the Compensation
to be deferred is otherwise payable to the Director. The Deferral Agreement
will
remain in effect from year-to-year until changed by the Participant in
accordance with the preceding sentence. The Plan Administrator, in his
discretion, may require an earlier time by which the election to defer
Compensation must be completed.
(b) Initial
Deferral Election.
For the Plan Year
in which a Director first becomes eligible to participate in the Plan (but
only
if the Director has never been eligible to participate in another “account
balance plan,” other than a separation pay plan, of the Company or an affiliate
that is aggregated with the Plan under Section 409A of the Code), the Director
may elect to make Deferrals and with respect to services to be performed
subsequent to the date of the election by completing and delivering a Deferral
Agreement within 30 days after the date the Director becomes eligible to
participate in the Plan.
3.3 Amount
of Deferrals.
Any Participant
may elect to defer, pursuant to a Deferral Agreement, the receipt of 50% to
100%
(designated in whole percentages) of the Compensation otherwise payable to
the
Participant by the Company in any Plan Year. The amount deferred pursuant to
this Section 3.3 shall be allocated to the Deferral Account maintained for
the
Participant.
ARTICLE
IV
VESTING
4.1 Vesting.
Subject to
Section 9.1 (Participant’s
Rights Unsecured),
each Participant
shall at all times be fully vested in all amounts credited to or allocable
to
his Deferral Account and his rights and interest therein shall not be
forfeitable for any reason.
ARTICLE
V
INVESTMENT
OF ACCOUNTS
5.1 Adjustment
of Accounts.
Except as
otherwise provided elsewhere in the Plan, as of each Valuation Date, each
Participant’s Accounts will be adjusted to reflect deferrals under
Article III (Deferrals)
and the positive
or negative rate of return on the Investment Funds selected by the Participant
pursuant to Section 5.2(b) (Investment
Direction - Participant Directions).
The rate of
return will be credited or charged in accordance with policies applied uniformly
to all Participants.
5.2 Investment
Direction.
(a) Investment
Funds.
Each Participant
may direct the hypothetical investment of amounts credited to his Plan accounts
in the Investment Funds.
(b) Participant
Directions.
Each Participant
may direct that all of the amounts attributable to his accounts be invested
in
either the Company Share Equivalent Account or Interest Fund or may direct
that
fractional (percentage) increments of his accounts be invested in the Company
Share Equivalent Account and Interest Fund as he shall desire in accordance
with
such procedures as may be established by the Plan Administrator.
(c) Changes
and Intra-Fund Transfers.
Participant
investment directions may be changed, and amounts may be transferred between
the
Investment Funds, in accordance with the procedures established by the Plan
Administrator. The designation will remain in effect until changed by the timely
submission of a new designation.
(d) Default
Selection.
In the absence of
any designation, a Participant will be deemed to have directed the investment
of
his accounts in the Interest Fund.
(e) Impact
of Election.
The Participant’s
selection of Investment Funds shall serve only as a measurement of the value
of
the Participant’s Accounts pursuant to Section 5.1 (Adjustment
of
Accounts)
and this
Section 5.2. Neither the Company nor the Plan Administrator is required to
actually invest a Participant’s accounts in accordance with the Participant’s
selections.
(f) Investment
Performance.
Accounts shall be
adjusted on each Valuation Date to reflect investment gains and losses as if
the
accounts were invested in the hypothetical Investment Funds selected by the
Participants in accordance with this Section 5.2 and charged with any and
all reasonable expenses as provided in paragraph (g) below. The earnings and
losses determined by the Plan Administrator in good faith and in his discretion
pursuant to this Section shall be binding and conclusive on the Participant,
the
Participant’s beneficiary and all parties claiming through them.
(g) Charges.
The Plan
Administrator may (but is not required to) charge Participants’ accounts for the
reasonable expenses of administration including, but not limited to, carrying
out and/or accounting for investment instructions directly related to such
accounts.
5.3 Special
Interest Fund Provisions.
(a) General.
The Interest Fund
shall accrue interest at a rate equal to (i) prior to January 1, 2007, the
base
corporate lending rate (sometimes referred to as the “prime rate”) applicable to
commercial lending customers of Citibank, N.A., New York, New York (or any
successor thereto); or (ii) from and after January 1, 2007, the rate on U.S.
Treasury Notes with a maturity of ten years. Such interest shall accrue and
compound quarterly and be determined as of the last business day of each
calendar quarter.
(b) Installment
Distributions Commencing Prior to January 1, 2007.
Notwithstanding
the provisions of Section 5.3(a) (Special
Interest
Fund Provisions - General)
to the contrary,
if a Participant elected to receive installment distributions pursuant to
Section 6.3 (Form
of
Distribution)
and such
distributions commenced on or before December 31, 2006, interest shall accrue
to
such Participants’ accounts at a rate equal to the base corporate lending rate
(sometimes referred to as the “prime rate”) applicable to commercial lending
customers of Citibank, N.A., New York, New York (or any successor
thereto).
5.4 Special
Company Share Equivalent Account Provisions.
(a) General.
A Participant’s
interest in the Company Share Equivalent Account shall be expressed in whole
and
fractional hypothetical units of the Company Share Equivalent Account. As a
general matter, the Company Share Equivalent Account shall track an investment
in Company Stock and shall generally reflect share ownership for events such
as
stock splits. Dividend equivalents will accrue to the Company Share Equivalent
Account quarterly and will be reinvested. Because investment in the Company
Share Equivalent Account is investment in a hypothetical account, there shall
be
no voting or similar rights associated therewith. The units shall be determined
by dividing the amount of deferred into the Company Share Equivalent Account
(or
dividends credited) by the average of the high and low prices of Company Stock
on the New York Stock Exchange on the date of such deferral or dividend credit
(or the next succeeding trading day if there is no trading on that
date).
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5
(b) Investment
Directions.
A Participant’s
ability to direct investments into or out of the Company Share Equivalent
Account shall be subject to such procedures as the Plan Administrator may
prescribe from time to time to assure compliance with Rule 16b-3 promulgated
under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
other applicable requirements. Such procedures also may limit or restrict
a
Participant’s ability to make (or modify previously made) deferral and
distribution elections pursuant to Articles III and VI, respectively. In
furtherance, and not in limitation, of the foregoing, to the extent a
Participant acquires any interest in an equity security under the Plan for
purposes of Section 16(b), the Participant shall not dispose of that interest
within six months, unless specifically exempted by Section 16(b) or any rules
or
regulations promulgated thereunder.
(c) Compliance
with Securities Laws.
Any election by a
Participant to hypothetically invest any amount in the Company Share Equivalent
Account, and any elections to transfer amounts from or to the Company Share
Equivalent Account to or from any other Investment Fund, shall be subject to
all
applicable securities law requirements, including but not limited to the last
sentence of paragraph (b) next above and Rule 16b-3 promulgated by the
Securities Exchange Commission. To the extent that any election violates any
securities law requirement, or the Company’s stock trading policies and
procedures, the election shall be void.
(d) Compliance
with Company Trading Policies and Procedures.
Any election by a
Participant to hypothetically invest any amount in the Company Share Equivalent
Account, and any elections to transfer amounts from or to the Company Share
Equivalent Account to or from the other Investment Fund, shall be subject to
all
Company Stock trading policies promulgated by the Company. To the extent that
any election violates any such trading policy or procedures, the election shall
be void.
ARTICLE
VI
DISTRIBUTIONS
6.1 Limitation
on Right to Receive Distribution. A
Participant (or
the Participant’s beneficiary in the case of the Participant’s death) shall not
be entitled to receive a distribution prior to the first to occur of the
following events:
(a) The
Participant’s
Separation from Service, or, in the case of a Participant who is a Key Employee,
the date which is six months after the Participant’s Separation from
Service;
(b) The
date the
Participant becomes Disabled;
(c) The
Participant’s
death;
(d) A
specified time
(or pursuant to a fixed schedule) specified at the date of deferral of
compensation;
(e) An
Unforeseeable
Emergency; or
(f) To
the extent
provided by the Secretary of the Treasury, a change in the ownership or
effective control of the Company or in the ownership of a substantial portion
of
the assets of the Company.
The
provisions of
this Section 6.1 are intended to impose restrictions on distributions. This
Section 6.1 does not describe the instances in which distributions will be
made. Rather, distributions will be made only if and when permitted both by
this
Section 6.1 and another provision of the Plan.
6.2 General
Right to Receive Distribution. Following
a
Participant’s Separation from Service or Disability, the Participant’s Plan
accounts will be distributed to the Participant at the time and in the manner
provided in Sections 6.5 (Timing
of
Distribution)
and 6.3
(Form
of
Distribution).
6.3 Form
of
Distribution.
Accounts shall be
distributed in cash in a single lump sum payment or in up to ten annual
installments. Distributions shall be subject to such uniform rules and
procedures as may be adopted by the Plan Administrator from time to time. The
method of payment shall be selected by the Participant in the initial
Distribution Election Form (which may be contained in and be a part of a
Deferral Agreement) submitted by the Participant to the Plan Administrator
on
entry into the Plan.
6.4 Amount
of Distribution.
The amount
distributed to a Participant shall equal the sum of the vested amounts credited
to the Participant’s accounts as of the Valuation Date immediately preceding the
date of the distribution. Amounts invested in the Company Share Equivalent
Account shall be based on the fair market value of the Company Stock on the
relevant Valuation Date determined pursuant to uniform and non-discriminatory
rules established by the Plan Administrator.
6.5 Timing
of Distribution.
Funds will be
distributed (or in the case of installment distributions, such installments
shall commence) as soon as practicable after the January 1 coincident with
or
next following the Participant’s Separation from Service (but not sooner than
the six-month anniversary of such Separation in the case of a Key Employee).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that Separation from Service occurs
due to death or Disability, funds may be distributed in a lump sum as soon
as
practicable after Separation from Service.
6.6 Payment
Upon Death.
(a) If
a Participant
should die before receiving a full distribution of his Plan accounts,
distribution shall be made to the beneficiary designated by the Participant.
If
a Participant has not designated a beneficiary, or if no designated beneficiary
is living on the date of distribution, such amounts shall be distributed to
the
Participant’s estate.
(b) Timing
and Form of Payment to Beneficiary.
(i) Payments
Commenced at Time of Death.
If,
at the time of
the Participant’s death, installment payments of the Participant’s accounts has
commenced pursuant to this Article VI,
such payments
shall continue to the Participant’s beneficiary in the same time and the same
form as if the Participant has remained alive until the last installment payment
was scheduled to be made.
(ii) Payments
Not Commenced at Time of Death.
If, at the time
of the Participant’s death, payments of the Participant’s accounts has not
commenced pursuant to this Article VI, the distributions made pursuant to this
Section 6.7 shall be made to the Participant’s beneficiary in accordance with
the then current and valid distribution election made by the Participant (or,
in
the absence of such a distribution election, in accordance with the “default”
provisions of Section 6.3 (Form of Distribution)).
6.7 Payment
Upon Unforeseeable Emergency.
Notwithstanding
any provision of the Plan to the contrary, if a Participant incurs an
Unforeseeable Emergency, the Participant may elect to make a withdrawal from
the
adjusted balance of the Participant’s account. Distribution shall only be made
on account of Unforeseeable Emergency if, as determined under regulations of
the
Secretary of the Treasury, the amounts distributed with respect to an emergency
do not exceed the amounts necessary to satisfy such emergency plus amounts
necessary to pay taxes reasonably anticipated as a result of the distribution,
after taking into account the extent to which such hardship is or may be
relieved:
(a) through
reimbursement or compensation by insurance or otherwise;
(b) by
liquidation of
the Participant’s assets, to the extent the liquidation of such assets would not
itself cause severe financial hardship; or
(c) by
cessation of
deferrals under the Plan.
A
Participant who
wishes to receive a distribution pursuant to this Section 6.8 shall apply for
such distribution to the Plan Administrator and shall provide information to
the
Plan Administrator reasonably necessary to permit the Plan Administrator to
determine whether an Unforeseeable Emergency exists and the amount of the
distribution reasonably needed to satisfy the emergency need.
6.8 De
Minimis Distribution.
Subject to
Section 6.5 (Timing
of
Distribution)
regarding Key
Employees, if a Participant incurs a Separation from Service and as of the
“payment date,” the value of the Participant’s accounts is $10,000.00 or less,
the Participant’s accounts shall be distributed to the Participant in a single
lump sum regardless of any elections made by the Participant pursuant to Section
6.3 (Form
of
Distribution).
For purposes of
this Section 6.9, the “payment date” shall be the date on which the
Participant’s accounts are distributed pursuant to this Section 6.9. In no event
shall the “payment date” be later than the later of (a) December 31 of the Plan
Year in which the Participant’s Separation of Service occurs and (b) the date
which is two and one-half months immediately following the Participant’s
Separation from Service.
6.9 Withholding.
All distributions
will be subject to all applicable tax and withholding requirements.
6.10 Ban
on
Acceleration of Benefits.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, neither the time nor the
schedule of any payment under the Plan may be accelerated except as provided
in
regulations or other guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service or the
Department of the Treasury.
ARTICLE
VII
ADMINISTRATION
OF THE PLAN
7.1 General
Powers and Duties.
(a) General.
The Plan
Administrator shall perform the duties and exercise the powers and discretion
given to him in the Plan document and by applicable law and his decisions and
actions shall be final and conclusive as to all persons affected thereby. The
Company and the Adopting Affiliates shall furnish the Plan Administrator with
all data and information that the Plan Administrator may reasonably require
in
order to perform his functions. The Plan Administrator may rely without question
upon any such data or information.
(b) Disputes.
Any and all
disputes that may arise involving Participants or beneficiaries shall be
referred to the Plan Administrator and his decision shall be final. Furthermore,
if any question arises as to the meaning, interpretation or application of
any
provisions of the Plan, the decision of the Plan Administrator shall be
final.
(c) Agents.
The Plan
Administrator may engage agents, including recordkeepers, to assist him and
he
may engage legal counsel who may be counsel for the Company. The Plan
Administrator shall not be responsible for any action taken or omitted to be
taken on the advice of such counsel, including written opinions or certificates
of any agent, counsel, actuary or physician.
(d) Insurance.
At the C+B
Officer’s request, the Company shall purchase liability insurance to cover the
C+B Officer in his activities as the Plan Administrator.
(e) Allocations.
The Plan
Administrator is given specific authority to allocate responsibilities to others
and to revoke such allocations. When the Plan Administrator has allocated
authority pursuant to this paragraph, the Plan Administrator is not to be liable
for the acts or omissions of the party to whom such responsibility has been
allocated.
(f) Records.
The Plan
Administrator shall supervise the establishment and maintenance of records
by
its agents, the Company and each Adopting Affiliate containing all relevant
data
pertaining to any person affected hereby and his or her rights under the Plan.
In addition, the Plan Administrator may, in its discretion, establish a system
for complete or partial electronic administration of the Plan and may replace
any written documents described in the Plan with electronic counterparts as
it
deems appropriate.
(g) Interpretations.
The Plan
Administrator, in his sole discretion, shall interpret and construe the
provisions of the Plan (and any underlying documents or policies).
(h) Electronic
Administration.
The Plan
Administrator shall have the authority to employ alternative means (including,
but not limited to, electronic, internet, intranet, voice response or
telephonic) by which Participants may submit elections, directions and forms
required for participation in, and the administration of, the Plan. If the
Plan
Administrator chooses to use these alternative means, any elections, directions
or forms submitted in accordance with the rules and procedures promulgated
by
the Plan Administrator will be deemed to satisfy any provision of the Plan
calling for the submission of a written election, direction or
form.
(i) Accounts.
The Plan
Administrator shall combine the various accounts of a Participant if he deems
such action appropriate. Furthermore, the Plan Administrator shall divide a
Participant’s accounts into sub-accounts if he deems such action
appropriate.
The
foregoing list
of powers and duties is not intended to be exhaustive, and the Plan
Administrator shall, in addition, exercise such other powers and perform such
other duties as he may deem advisable in the administration of the Plan, unless
such powers or duties are expressly assigned to another pursuant to the
provisions of the Plan.
ARTICLE
VIII
AMENDMENT
8.1 Amendment.
The Company
reserves the right to amend the Plan when, in the sole discretion of the
Company, such amendment is advisable.
8.2 Effect
of Amendment.
Any amendment of
the Plan shall apply prospectively only and shall not directly or indirectly
reduce the balance of any Plan account as of the effective date of such
amendment.
8.3 Termination.
The Company
expressly reserves the right to terminate the Plan. In the event of termination,
the Company shall specify whether termination will change the time at which
distributions are made; provided that any acceleration of a distribution is
consistent with Section 409A of the Code. In the absence of such
specification, the timing of distributions shall be unaffected by
termination.
ARTICLE
IX
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
9.1 Participant’s
Rights Unsecured.
The Plan at all
times shall be entirely unfunded and no provision shall at any time be made
with
respect to segregating any assets of the Company for payment of any
distributions hereunder. The right of a Participant or his or her designated
beneficiary to receive a distribution hereunder shall be an unsecured claim
against the general assets of the Company, and neither the Participant nor
a
designated beneficiary shall have any rights in or against any specific assets
of the Company. All amounts credited to a Participant’s accounts hereunder shall
constitute general assets of the Company and may be disposed of by the Company
at such time and for such purposes as it may deem appropriate. Nothing in this
Section shall preclude the Company from establishing a “Rabbi Trust,” but the
assets in the Rabbi Trust must be available to pay the claims of the Company’s
general creditors in the event of the Company’s insolvency.
9.2 No
Guaranty of Benefits.
Nothing contained
in the Plan shall constitute a guaranty by the Company or any other person
or
entity that the assets of the Company will be sufficient to pay any benefit
hereunder.
9.3 Section
409A Compliance.
The Company
intends that the Plan meet the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and
the
guidance issued thereunder. The Plan shall be construed and interpreted in
a
manner consistent with that intention.
9.4 Spendthrift
Provision.
No interest of
any person or entity in, or right to receive a distribution under, the Plan
shall be subject in any manner to sale, transfer, assignment, pledge,
attachment, garnishment, or other alienation or encumbrance of any kind; nor
shall any such interest or right to receive a distribution be taken, either
voluntarily or involuntarily, for the satisfaction of the debts of, or other
obligations or claims against, such person or entity, including claims in
bankruptcy proceedings. This Section shall not preclude arrangements for the
withholding of taxes from deferrals, credits, or benefit payments, arrangements
for the recovery of benefit overpayments, arrangements for the transfer of
benefit rights to another plan, or arrangements for direct deposit of benefit
payments to an account in a bank, savings and loan association or credit union
(provided that such arrangement is not part of an arrangement constituting
an
assignment or alienation).
9.5 Domestic
Relations Orders.
Notwithstanding
the provisions of Section 9.4 (Spendthrift
Provision)
to the contrary
and to the extent permitted by law, the amounts payable pursuant to the Plan
may
be assigned or alienated pursuant to a “Domestic Relations Order” (as such term
is defined in Section 414(p)(1)(B) of the Code).
9.6 Incapacity
of Recipient.
If the Plan
Administrator is served with a court order holding that a person entitled to
a
distribution under the Plan is incapable of personally receiving and giving
a
valid receipt for such distribution, the Plan Administrator shall postpone
payment until such time as a claim therefore shall have been made by a duly
appointed guardian or other legal representative of such person. The Plan
Administrator is under no obligation to inquire or investigate as to the
competency of any person entitled to a distribution. Any payment to an appointed
guardian or other legal representative under this Section shall be a payment
for
the account of the incapacitated person and a complete discharge of any
liability of the Company and the Plan therefore.
9.7 Successors.
The Plan shall be
binding upon the successors and assigns of the Company and upon the heirs,
beneficiaries and personal representatives of the individuals who become
Participants hereunder.
9.8 Limitations
on Liability.
Notwithstanding
any of the preceding provisions of the Plan, neither the Plan Administrator,
the
Company, nor any individual acting as the Plan Administrator’s, or the Company’s
employee, agent, or representative shall be liable to any Participant, former
Participant, beneficiary or other person for any claim, loss, liability or
expense incurred in connection with the Plan.