Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans [Abstract]

Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans

19. Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans

We sponsor stock-based incentive compensation plans for our employees and directors and for the employees and agents of our subsidiaries that provide for the issuance of stock options, performance shares, and restricted stock units (“RSUs”), among other types of awards. We issue new shares to satisfy option exercises and vested performance shares and RSUs.

Total compensation expense (in millions) by award type for our stock-based incentive compensation plans was as follows:



	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2020		2019		2018
Stock options	$	10	$	8	$	5
Performance shares		5		17		15
RSUs		36		37		32
Total	$	51	$	62	$	52

Recognized tax benefit	$	11	$	13	$	11

Total unrecognized compensation expense (in millions) and expected weighted-average life (in years) by award type for our stock-based incentive compensation plans was as follows:



	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2020			2019			2018
			Weighted-			Weighted-			Weighted-
			Average			Average			Average
	Expense		Period	Expense		Period	Expense		Period
Stock options	$	8	0.7	$	9	0.9	$	9	1.1
Performance shares		14	1.3		15	1.3		14	0.9
RSUs		37	1.2		42	1.4		50	1.2
Total unrecognized stock-based
incentive compensation expense	$	59		$	66		$	73

Stock Options

The option price assumptions used for our stock option awards were as follows:



	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2020		2019		2018
Weighted-average fair value per option granted	$	12.25	$	13.23	$	18.74
Weighted-average assumptions:
Dividend yield		3.0%		2.8%		2.1%
Expected volatility		30.1%		26.9%		27.2%
Risk-free interest rate ⁽¹⁾		0.3-1.4%		2.1-2.5%		2.5-2.9%
Expected life (in years)		5.8		5.8		5.8

⁽¹⁾Risk-free interest rate expressed as a range and not a weighted average.

The fair value of options is determined using a Black-Scholes options valuation model with the assumptions disclosed in the table above. The dividend yield is based on the expected dividend rate during the expected life of the option. Expected volatility is based on the implied volatility of exchange-traded securities and the historical volatility of the LNC stock price. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant. The expected life of the options granted represents the weighted-average period of time from the grant date to the date of exercise, expiration or cancellation based upon historical behavior.

Generally, stock options have a maximum contractual term of ten years and vest ratably over a three year period based solely on a service condition. Information with respect to our incentive plans involving stock options with service conditions (aggregate intrinsic value shown in millions) was as follows:



						Weighted-
			Weighted-			Average
			Average		Remaining		Aggregate
			Exercise		Contractual		Intrinsic
	Shares		Price			Term	Value
Outstanding as of December 31, 2019	2,894,656		$	55.67
Granted	837,329			60.86
Exercised	(146,370	)		32.70
Forfeited or expired	(126,656	)		62.72
Outstanding as of December 31, 2020	3,458,959		$	57.64		6.46	$	12

Vested or expected to vest as of December 31, 2020 ⁽¹⁾	3,181,759		$	56.93		6.32	$	12

Exercisable as of December 31, 2020	2,141,140		$	54.26		5.12	$	12

⁽¹⁾Includes estimated forfeitures.

The total fair value of stock options with service conditions that vested during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was $8 million, $7 million and $6 million, respectively. The total intrinsic value of such options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, was $3 million, $3 million and $11 million, respectively.

We award to certain agents stock options that have a maximum contractual term of five years and generally vest ratably over a two year period depending on the satisfaction of the performance conditions. Information with respect to our incentive plans involving stock options with performance conditions (aggregate intrinsic value shown in millions) was as follows:



						Weighted-
			Weighted-			Average
			Average		Remaining		Aggregate
			Exercise		Contractual		Intrinsic
	Shares		Price			Term	Value
Outstanding as of December 31, 2019	209,104		$	61.17
Granted	56,125			23.49
Exercised	(17,687	)		45.60
Forfeited or expired	(38,892	)		59.29
Outstanding as of December 31, 2020	208,650		$	52.70		2.20	$	2

Vested or expected to vest as of December 31, 2020 ⁽¹⁾	190,370		$	54.74		2.03	$	1

Exercisable as of December 31, 2020	172,006		$	57.21		1.82	$	1

⁽¹⁾Includes estimated forfeitures.

The total fair value of stock options with performance conditions that vested during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, was less than $1 million, $1 million and $1 million, respectively. The total intrinsic value of such options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, was less than $1 million, $1 million and $2 million, respectively.

Performance Shares

LNC performance shares vest, if at all, on the third anniversary of the grant date; depending on the achievement level of performance measures pre-determined by the Compensation Committee for the three year performance period, payout could range from zero to 200% of the target award.

Information with respect to our performance shares was as follows:



				Weighted-
				Average
			Grant-Date
	Shares			Fair Value
Outstanding as of December 31, 2019 ⁽¹⁾	471,071			$	77.29
Granted	233,039				64.62
Vested	(134,282	)			79.61
Forfeited	(27,120	)			70.54
Outstanding as of December 31, 2020 ⁽¹⁾	542,708			$	71.61

⁽¹⁾Represents target award amounts.

RSUs

LNC RSUs generally cliff vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, based solely on a service condition. Information with respect to our RSUs was as follows:



				Weighted-
				Average
			Grant-Date
	Shares			Fair Value
Outstanding as of December 31, 2019	1,551,129			$	70.09
Granted	623,599				60.83
Vested	(413,309	)			70.96
Forfeited	(103,517	)			66.48
Outstanding as of December 31, 2020	1,657,902			$	66.62