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EQUIFAX 2005 DIRECTOR DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN (EFFECTIVE AS OF JANUARY 1, 2005, EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE NOTED)

Executive Compensation Plan Agreement

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This Executive Compensation Plan Agreement involves

EQUIFAX INC

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Title: EQUIFAX 2005 DIRECTOR DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN (EFFECTIVE AS OF JANUARY 1, 2005, EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE NOTED)
Governing Law: Georgia     Date: 2/26/2009
Industry: Business Services     Sector: Services

EQUIFAX 2005 DIRECTOR DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN (EFFECTIVE AS OF JANUARY 1, 2005, EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE NOTED), Parties: equifax inc
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EXHIBIT 10.14

 

EQUIFAX
2005 DIRECTOR DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

(EFFECTIVE AS OF JANUARY 1, 2005, EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE NOTED)

 

Effective as of January 1, 2003, Equifax Inc. (the “Company”) established the Equifax Director Deferred Compensation Plan (“Prior Plan”) for the purpose of attracting high quality outside directors and promoting in its directors increased efficiency and further interest in the successful operation and performance of the Company.

 

Because the laws applicable to nonqualified deferred compensation plans were significantly changed effective January 1, 2005, the Company has decided to adopt a new deferred compensation plan, the Equifax 2005 Director Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) for deferrals by eligible directors occurring on or after January 1, 2005.  The vested amounts credited to participants as of December 31, 2004 under the Prior Plan (and any earnings on such amounts) will remain credited under the Prior Plan and subject to the terms and conditions of the Prior Plan.

 

ARTICLE I.

 

Definitions

 

1.1          Account shall mean the records maintained by the Administrator to determine the Participant’s deferrals under this Plan.  Such Account may be reflected as an entry in the Company’s records, or as a separate account under a trust, or as a combination of both.  The Administrator may establish such subaccounts as it deems necessary for the proper administration of the Plan.

 

1.2          Administrator shall mean the person or persons appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company (or its designee) to administer the Plan pursuant to Article 10 of the Plan.

 

1.3          Beneficiary shall mean the person(s) or entity designated as such in accordance with Article 9 of the Plan.

 

1.4          Change in Control shall mean any of the following events:

 

a.                                        Voting Stock Accumulations .  The accumulation by any Person of Beneficial Ownership of twenty percent (20%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s Voting Stock; provided that for purposes of this subparagraph (a), a Change in Control will not be deemed to have occurred if the accumulation of twenty percent (20%) or more of the voting power of the Company’s Voting Stock results from any acquisition of Voting Stock (i) directly from the Company that is approved by the Incumbent Board, (ii) by the Company, (iii) by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Subsidiary, or (iv) by any Person pursuant to a Business Combination that complies with all of the provisions of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (b); or

 



 

b.                                       Business Combinations.   Consummation of a Business Combination, unless, immediately following that Business Combination, (i) all or substantially all of the Persons who were the beneficial owners of Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to that Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the then outstanding shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of Directors of the entity resulting from that Business Combination (including, without limitation, an entity that as a result of that transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions relative to each other as their ownership, immediately prior to that Business Combination, of the Voting Stock of the Company, (ii) no Person (other than the Company, that entity resulting from that Business Combination, or any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company, any Eighty Percent (80%) Subsidiary or that entity resulting from that Business Combination) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, twenty percent (20%) or more of the then outstanding shares of common stock of the entity resulting from that Business Combination or the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of that entity, and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the entity resulting from that Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement or of the action of the Board providing for that Business Combination; or

 

c.                                        Sale of Assets .  Consummation of a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company; or

 

d.                                       Liquidations or Dissolutions .  Approval by the shareholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company, except pursuant to a Business Combination that complies with all of the provisions of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (b).

 

e.                                        Definitions .  For purposes of this paragraph defining Change in Control, the following definitions shall apply:

 

i.                  Beneficial Ownership shall mean beneficial ownership as that term is used in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.

 

ii.              Business Combination shall mean a reorganization, merger or consolidation of the Company.

 

iii.          Eighty Percent (80%) Subsidiary shall mean an entity in which the Company directly or indirectly beneficially owns eighty percent (80%) or more of the outstanding Voting Stock.

 

iv.             Exchange Act shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including amendments, or successor statutes of similar intent.

 

v.                 Incumbent Board shall mean a Board of Directors at least a majority of whom consist of individuals who either are (a) members of the Company’s Board of

 

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Directors as of December 1, 2007 or (b) members who become members of the Company’s Board of Directors subsequent to December 1, 2007 whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which that person is named as a nominee for director, without objection to that nomination), but excluding, for that purpose, any individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest (within the meaning of Rule 14a-11 of the Exchange Act) with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board of Directors.

 

vi.             Person shall mean any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14 (d) (2) of the Exchange Act).

 

vii.         Voting Stock shall mean the then outstanding securities of an entity entitled to vote generally in the election of members of that entity’s Board of Directors.

 

1.5          Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

1.6          Compensation shall mean the retainer and meeting fees payable to the Participant by the Company for the Plan Year before reductions for contributions to or deferrals under any deferred compensation or benefit plans sponsored by the Company.

 

1.7          Company shall mean Equifax Inc., a Georgia corporation, or its successor.

 

1.8          Crediting Rate shall mean the notional gains and losses credited on the Participant’s Account balance pursuant to Article 3 of the Plan.

 

1.9          Eligible Director shall mean a member of the Board of Directors of the Company who is not an employee of the Company or such other independent contractor as may be designated by the Administrator to be eligible to participate in the Plan.

 

1.10    Financial Hardship shall mean an unexpected need for cash arising from illness, casualty loss, sudden financial reversal, or other such unforeseeable occurrence which is not covered by insurance and which is determined to qualify as a Financial Hardship by the Administrator. Cash needs arising from foreseeable events such as the purchase of a residence or education expenses for children shall not, alone, be considered a Financial Hardship.  The Administrator shall make its determination of Financial Hardship in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 409A.

 

1.11    Participant shall mean an Eligible Director who has elected to participate and has completed a Participant Election Form pursuant to Article 2 of the Plan.

 

1.12    Participant Election Form  shall mean the written agreement to make a deferral submitted by the Participant to the Administrator on a timely basis pursuant to Article 2 of the Plan. The Participant Election Form may take the form of an electronic communication followed by appropriate written confirmation according to specifications established by the Administrator.

 

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1.13    Plan Year shall mean the calendar year.

 

1.14    Prior Plan shall mean the Equifax Director Deferred Compensation Plan, effective as of January 1, 2003 and as it may be amended.

 

1.15    Retirement shall mean a Participant’s Termination of Service.

 

1.16    Scheduled Withdrawal shall mean the distribution elected by the Participant pursuant to Article 7 of the Plan.

 

1.17    Section 409A shall mean Section 409A of the Code, as it may be amended from time to time, and the regulations and rulings thereunder.

 

1.18    Settlement Date shall mean the date by which a lump sum payment shall be made or the date by which installment payments shall commence. Unless otherwise specified, the Settlement Date shall be the last day of January of the Plan Year following the year in which the event triggering the payout occurs. In the case of death, the event triggering payout shall be deemed to occur upon the date the Administrator is provided with the documentation reasonably necessary to establish the fact of the Participant’s death.

 

1.19    Termination of Service shall mean the date of the cessation of the Participant’s service as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company for any reason whatsoever, whether voluntary or involuntary, including as a result of the Participant’s death or disability.

 

1.20    Valuation Date shall mean the date through which earnings are credited and shall be the last day of the month preceding the month in which the payout or other event triggering the Valuation occurs.

 

ARTICLE 2

 

Participation

 

2.1          Elective Deferral . For each Plan Year a Participant may elect to defer any whole percentage between five percent (5%) and one hundred percent (100%) of Compensation earned by the Participant during the Plan Year. The foregoing limits shall be interpreted and applied by the Administrator and the Administrator may prior to the commencement of the Plan Year provide for a different method for the determination of allowable deferrals for the Plan Year, further limit the minimum or maximum amount deferred by any Participant or group of Participants, or waive the foregoing limits for any Participant or group of Participants, for any reason.

 

2.2          Participant Election Form . In order to make a deferral, an Eligible Director must submit a Participant Election Form to the Administrator during the enrollment period established by the Administrator prior to the beginning of the Plan Year during which the Compensation is earned. The Administrator may establish a special enrollment period for Eligible Directors hired during a Plan Year to allow deferrals of Compensation earned during the balance of such Plan Year after such enrollment period. The Participant shall be required to submit a new Participant Election Form on a timely basis in order to change the Participant’s deferral election for a subsequent Plan

 

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Year. If no Participant Election Form is filed during the prescribed enrollment period, the Participant’s election for the prior Plan Year shall continue in force for the next Plan Year.

 

2.3          Election Irrevocable .  The election to defer Compensation shall be irrevocable except as provided in Article 6 in the event of disability or Section 4.4 in the case of a Financial Hardship. If the Participant’s deferrals are discontinued under the Plan, the Participant shall forfeit the right to make deferrals for the balance of the Plan Year in which such election occurs and for the entire next following Plan Year.

 

ARTICLE III

 

Accounts

 

3.1          Participant Accounts. Solely for recordkeeping purposes, up to three (3) Accounts (a Retirement Account and two Scheduled Withdrawal Accounts) shall be maintained for each Participant and shall be credited with the Participant’s deferrals directed by the Participant to each Account at the time such amounts would otherwise have been paid to the Participant.  The Participant will designate for each Plan Year which portion of the Participant’s deferrals for such Plan Year shall be credited to the Participant’s Retirement Account and any Scheduled Withdrawal Account the Participant has elected to establish.  Accounts shall be deemed to be credited with notional gains or losses as provided in Section 3.2 from the date the deferral is credited to the Account through the Valuation Date. Amounts credited to a Participant’s Account shall be fully vested at all times.

 

With respect to Eligible Directors who participated in the Prior Plan prior to January 1, 2005, and who have made deferral elections under the Prior Plan for 2005, 2006, and 2007 with respect to compensation which was earned and became payable on or after January 1, 2005, the Company hereby transfers all rights with respect to such deferral elections to the Plan and the Plan hereby assumes all obligations with respect to such deferral elections.  Such deferral elections shall be maintained and administered in accordance with the Plan, including the payment rules of the Plan.  The Administrator may permit changes to such deferral elections and payment elections in accordance with Section 409A.

 

3.2          Crediting Rate . The Crediting Rate on amounts in a Participant’s Account shall be based on the hypothetical investment of such amounts in the Equifax Common Stock Fund. If the Equifax Common Stock Fund reflects a gain, the Participant’s Account shall be increased to reflect such gain. If the Equifax Common Stock Fund sustains a loss, the Participant’s Account shall be reduced to reflect such loss. The Company shall have no obligation to set aside or invest funds in the Equifax Common Stock Fund on behalf of the Participant and, if the Company elects to invest funds in such manner, the Participant shall have no more right to such investments than any other unsecured general creditor. During payout, the Participant’s Account shall continue to be credited at the Crediting Rate through the Valuation Date. Installment payments shall be recalculated annually by dividing the account balance by the number of payments remaining without regard to anticipated earnings or in any other reasonable manner as may be determined from time to time by the Administrator.

 

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3.3          Statement of Accounts . The Administrator shall provide each Participant with a statement at least quarterly setting forth the Participant’s Account balance as of the end of each quarter.

 

ARTICLE 4

 

Retirement Benefits

 

4.1          Retirement Benefits . In the event of the Participant’s Retirement, the Participant shall be entitled to receive an amount equal to the total balance of the Participant’s Account credited with notional earnings as provided in Article 3 through the Valuation Date. The benefits shall be paid in a single lump sum unless the Participant has elected at the time of deferral (or in accordance with the transition rules of Section 409A) to have the benefit paid in substantially level annual installments over a specified period of not more than fifteen (15) years. Payment


 
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