WF Deferred Compensation Holdings, Inc. Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan for Independent Contractors (Amended and Restated as of January 1, 2008)
This agreement establishes a nonqualified deferred compensation plan for independent contractors providing investment, financial, or related services to WF Deferred Compensation Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates. The plan allows eligible independent contractors to defer a portion of their compensation, with the company maintaining separate accounts for each participant. The plan outlines eligibility, participation requirements, account management, vesting, and distribution rules, and specifies that it is unfunded and unsecured. The plan is governed by the company’s board and may be amended or terminated under certain conditions.
NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
FOR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
FOR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
Page | ||||||||
ARTICLE I | NAME AND PURPOSE | 1 | ||||||
Section 1.1 | Name of Plan | |||||||
Section 1.2 | Purpose | |||||||
Section 1.3 | Effective Dates | |||||||
ARTICLE II | DEFINITIONS | 1 | ||||||
Section 2.1 | Definitions | |||||||
ARTICLE III | PARTICIPATING COMPANY | 4 | ||||||
Section 3.1 | Eligibility | |||||||
Section 3.2 | Participation Requirements | |||||||
Section 3.3 | Recordkeeping and Reporting | |||||||
Section 3.4 | Termination of Participation | |||||||
Section 3.5 | Separate Accounting | |||||||
ARTICLE IV | ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION | 5 | ||||||
Section 4.1 | Eligibility | |||||||
Section 4.2 | Participation | |||||||
ARTICLE V | DEFERRAL ELECTIONS | 6 | ||||||
Section 5.1 | Deferral Elections | |||||||
Section 5.2 | Transfer Amounts | |||||||
Section 5.3 | Participant Accounts | |||||||
ARTICLE VI | VALUATION OF ACCOUNTS | 7 | ||||||
Section 6.1 | Establishment of Accounts | |||||||
Section 6.2 | Deferral Accounts and Transfer Accounts | |||||||
Section 6.3 | Allocation of Amounts | |||||||
Section 6.4 | Hypothetical Accounts | |||||||
ARTICLE VII | VESTING OF ACCOUNT | 9 | ||||||
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Page | ||||||||
Section 7.1 | Vested Benefit | |||||||
Section 7.2 | Limitation on Amounts | |||||||
ARTICLE VIII | DISTRIBUTIONS | 10 | ||||||
Section 8.1 | Distribution Commencement Date | |||||||
Section 8.2 | Subsequent Elections | |||||||
Section 8.3 | Manner of Payment to Participant | |||||||
Section 8.4 | Payment to Beneficiary | |||||||
Section 8.5 | Withdrawals Due to Unforseeable Emergency | |||||||
Section 8.6 | Designation of Beneficiaries | |||||||
Section 8.7 | Death Prior to Full Distribution | |||||||
Section 8.8 | Facility of Payment | |||||||
Section 8.9 | Form of Distribution | |||||||
Section 8.10 | Distributions As a Result of Tax Determination | |||||||
Section 8.11 | Distribution of Small Aggregate Balances | |||||||
Section 8.12 | Payment on the Designated Date | |||||||
ARTICLE IX | FUNDING OF PLAN | 15 | ||||||
Section 9.1 | Unfunded and Unsecured Plan | |||||||
Section 9.2 | Corporate Obligation | |||||||
ARTICLE X | AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION | 16 | ||||||
Section 10.1 | Amendment and Termination | |||||||
Section 10.2 | No Oral Amendments | |||||||
Section 10.3 | Plan Binding on Successors | |||||||
ARTICLE XI | DETERMINATIONS RULES AND REGULATIONS | 17 | ||||||
Section 11.1 | Determinations | |||||||
Section 11.2 | Method of Executing Instruments | |||||||
Section 11.3 | Claims Procedure | |||||||
Section 11.4 | Limitations and Exhaustion | |||||||
ARTICLE XII | PLAN ADMINISTRATION | 20 | ||||||
Section 12.1 | Officers | |||||||
Section 12.2 | President | |||||||
Section 12.3 | Board of Directors | |||||||
Section 12.4 | Delegation | |||||||
Section 12.5 | Conflict of Interest | |||||||
Section 12.6 | Administrator | |||||||
Section 12.7 | Service of Process | |||||||
Section 12.8 | Expenses | |||||||
Section 12.9 | Spendthrift Provision |
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Page | ||||||||
Section 12.10 | Tax Withholding | |||||||
Section 12.11 | Certifications | |||||||
Section 12.12 | Errors in Computations | |||||||
Section 12.13 | No Employment Rights | |||||||
Section 12.14 | Participants Should Consult Advisors | |||||||
ARTICLE XIII | CONSTRUCTION | 22 | ||||||
Section 13.1 | Applicable Laws | |||||||
Section 13.2 | Effect on Other Agreements | |||||||
Section 13.3 | Disqualification | |||||||
Section 13.4 | Rules of Document Construction | |||||||
Section 13.5 | Choice of Law | |||||||
Section 13.6 | No Employment Contract | |||||||
Section 13.7 | Plan Obligation Guarantee | |||||||
APPENDIX A | A-1 |
NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
FOR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
(a) | Account. Account means a separate bookkeeping account established and maintained for a Participant representing a separate unfunded and unsecured general obligation of the Company with respect to the Participant under the Plan. An Account shall be either a Deferral Account or a Transfer Account. | ||
(b) | Affiliate. Affiliate means any entity other than the Company that is part of a single employer within the meaning of subsection (b) or (c) of Code §414 that includes the Company. | ||
(c) | Beneficiary. Beneficiary means the person, persons or trust designated by a Participant, or automatically by operation of the Plan, to receive any distributions |
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which may become payable under this Plan by reason of the death of the Participant. |
(d) | Board of Directors. Board of Directors means the Board of Directors of the Company. | ||
(e) | Code. Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as from time to time amended. | ||
(f) | Common Stock. Common Stock means Wells Fargo & Company common stock. | ||
(g) | Company. Company means WF Deferred Compensation Holdings, Inc., which is the sponsor of the Plan, and its successors and assigns. | ||
(h) | Complete Termination. Complete Termination means a termination and liquidation of the Plan that satisfies the requirements of Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(j)(4)(ix), which generally permits accelerated payment upon: |
(i) | termination and liquidation of the Plan within 12 months of a corporate dissolution or bankruptcy; | ||
(ii) | termination and liquidation of the Plan pursuant to irrevocable action taken during the period commencing 30 days before and ending 12 months after a change in control event within the meaning of Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5), but only if all deferred compensation arrangements sponsored by the Company and its Affiliates that are treated as a single plan under Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(c)(2) that includes this Plan are terminated and liquidated with respect to every participant who experienced such change in control event, and all amounts payable under such single plan for such participants are paid within 12 months after the irrevocable action is taken; or | ||
(iii) | any other termination and liquidation of the Plan, if the following requirements are satisfied: |
(1) | the termination and liquidation is not proximate to a downturn in the financial health of the Company and its Affiliates, | ||
(2) | the Company and its Affiliates also terminate and liquidate all other deferral arrangements that would be aggregated with the Plan under Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(c)(2); | ||
(3) | no accelerated payments are made within 12 months after irrevocable action is taken to terminate and liquidate the Plan, |
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(4) | all payments are made within 24 months after all necessary action is taken to irrevocably terminate and liquidate the Plan, and | ||
(5) | during the three years after such irrevocable action is taken the Company and its Affiliates do not adopt a new plan that would be aggregated with the Plan under Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(c)(2) if the Plan still existed. |
(i) | Deferral Account. Deferral Account means an Account established and maintained for a Participant to which is credited the amounts deferred by the Participant pursuant to a Deferral Election. | ||
(j) | Deferral Election. Deferral Election means an irrevocable election to defer receipt of Eligible Compensation by an individual who satisfies the eligibility requirements of Section 4.1, provided such election was made, accepted and approved in accordance with Section 5.1. | ||
(k) | Eligible Compensation. Eligible Compensation means the remuneration payable to an independent contractor by a Participating Company that the Participating Company (with approval of the Company) determines prior to the beginning of a Plan Year will be eligible for deferral in that Plan Year. Except as otherwise so determined, Eligible Compensation includes only securities commissions and net advisory service fees, and shall not include any other remuneration (such as, but not limited to, compensation for sales of fixed insurance and banking products). | ||
(l) | ERISA. ERISA means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as from time to time amended. | ||
(m) | Participant. Participant means an individual described in Section 4.2 of the Plan. | ||
(n) | Participating Company. Participating Company means any Affiliate participating in the Plan pursuant to Article III. A Participating Company that ceases to be an Affiliate shall nevertheless continue to be considered a Participating Company for the remainder of the Plan Year in which it ceased to be an Affiliate. | ||
(o) | Plan. Plan means the WF Deferred Compensation Holdings, Inc. Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan for Independent Contractors. | ||
(p) | Plan Year. Plan Year means the twelve (12) consecutive month period beginning January 1 and ending December 31. | ||
(q) | Qualified Services. Qualified Services means investment, financial or other services performed for or with respect to a Participating Company that the Participating Company (with approval of the Company) determines prior to the |
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beginning of a Plan Year will satisfy the requirement of Section 4.1(a) for that Plan Year. Except as otherwise so determined, Qualified Services include services performed as an H.D. Vest Advisor by an individual who is not an employee or officer of the Company or any Affiliate, and for which the individual is paid Eligible Compensation. |
(r) | Separation From Service. Separation From Service means a Participants separation from service within the meaning of Code §409A(a)(2)(A)(i) and applicable guidance thereunder. Generally, those rules provide that a Separation from Service will occur upon the expiration of all contracts under which the Participant performs services for the Company or an Affiliate, provided such expiration constitutes a good-faith and complete termination of the contractual relationship. No such complete termination, and therefore no Separation from Service, will occur if the Company or an Affiliate anticipates either (i) a renewal of the contractual relationship (e.g., if the need for the services recurs or funds again become available to pay for the services) or (ii) the hiring of the Participant as an employee. | ||
(s) | Transfer Account. Transfer Account means an Account established and maintained for a Participant that is credited pursuant to Section 5.2 of this Plan with the benefit that was payable under another nonqualified deferred compensation plan prior to the combination or consolidation of that other plan with this Plan. | ||
(t) | Valuation Date. Valuation Date means each business day during the Plan Year. | ||
(u) | Vested. Vested means nonforfeitable. Pursuant to Section 7.2, only the Vested portion of a Participants Accounts under the Plan is payable to or with respect to the Participant. |
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(a) | the individual must be classified and treated by a Participating Company as an independent contractor who provides Qualified Services to or with respect to the Participating Company; | ||
(b) | the individuals tax year must be the calendar year; and | ||
(c) | the individual must be designated as eligible to participate in the Plan by the Participating Company and the Company. |
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(a) | Deferral Elections must be made in the form and manner prescribed by the Company and must be filed with and accepted and approved by the Company before the first day of the Plan Year in which the affected Eligible Compensation is earned. For purposes of the preceding sentence, commissions subject to Treas. Reg. §1.409A-2(a)(12) shall be considered earned as provided therein. Eligible Compensation (including commission compensation) that is payable after the last day of the Plan Year in which it is earned shall be treated as earned when it is paid (or in the absence of a deferral would be payable), to the extent permitted by Treas. Reg. §1.409A-2(a)(13). | ||
(b) | Except in the event of a withdrawal pursuant to Section 8.5, a Deferral Election shall become irrevocable, and the Participant shall have no further right to the affected Eligible Compensation other than as provided under the Plan, no later than December 31 of the Plan Year in which the Deferral Election is made (i.e., December 31 of the Plan Year prior to the Plan Year in which the Eligible Compensation is earned). | ||
(c) | A Deferral Election shall be effective only for the Plan Year specified in the Deferral Election. A new Deferral Election must be filed for each Plan Year. |
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(d) | A Deferral Election shall specify the Eligible Compensation to be deferred, the investment option(s) that will determine the investment adjustments pursuant to Article VI, and the time and manner of distribution. The amount deferred may be determined either as a percentage of Eligible Compensation (expressed in whole percent increments up to 100%), or as a dollar amount (expressed in increments of $100 and limited by the Eligible Compensation payable to the Participant). | ||
(e) | Amounts deferred pursuant to a Deferral Election shall be credited to a Deferral Account established for the Participant. Such credits shall be effective as of the close of business on the date that the Eligible Compensation otherwise would have been paid to the Participant. |
(a) | Intermediate Distribution Subtraction. The previous Account value shall be reduced by the total amount distributed to or with respect to the Participant from such Account. |
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(b) | Deferral Amounts. The previous value (as adjusted above) of a Deferral Account shall be increased by the amounts deferred, if any, pursuant to Article V of the Plan. | ||
(c) | Investment Adjustment. The previous Account value (as adjusted above) shall be adjusted to reflect an amount determined based upon the value of the amounts that are allocated among one or more investment options made available by the Company. The value of amounts credited to the Account and allocated to an investment option shall be deemed to be invested in such investment option, reflecting all earnings, losses and other distributions or charges and changes in value which would have been incurred through such an investment. | ||
(d) | Final Distribution Subtraction. The previous Account value (as adjusted above) shall be reduced by the total amount distributed to or with respect to the Participant from such Account as of the current Valuation Date. |
(a) | Common Stock. The Company may permit the value of any amounts credited to the Participants Accounts to be measured by the value of the Common Stock. If the Company permits amounts to be measured in this manner, a Participant may elect to have a portion (subject to any minimum percentage or minimum dollar amount) or all of such amounts credited to his or her Accounts measured by the value of Common Stock. Once a Participant has elected to have a portion (all or a part) of the Participants Accounts measured by the value of the Common Stock, the Participant shall not be permitted to reallocate that portion of the Participants |
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Accounts (including any adjustments to that portion under Section 6.2(c)) to any other investment option. Once such election is made and accepted by the Company, the election shall be irrevocable. The election shall be effected as soon as possible by crediting the Account with the number of units (including fractions thereof) equal to the number of shares (including fractions thereof) of Common Stock that could have been purchased with the dollar amount subject to this election based upon the New York Stock Exchange only closing price as of the business day immediately preceding the date that the Account is credited with the units. Each unit shall be measured by the value of one share of Common Stock and treated as though invested in a share of Common Stock. The liability of the Company under the Plan with respect to such units shall be satisfied only in shares of Common Stock, subject to any applicable State and Federal securities requirements. |
(b) | Cash Dividends. Amounts measured by the value of Common Stock shall be credited on each Common Stock dividend payment date with that number of units equal to the number of shares which would have been acquired based upon the cash dividends paid on shares of Common Stock equal to the number of units credited to the Accounts as of the record date for such dividend based upon the New York Stock Exchange only closing price as of the business day immediately preceding the dividend payment date. | ||
(c) | Adjustments to Common Stock. The number of units credited to the Accounts shall be adjusted to reflect any change in the outstanding Common Stock by reason of any stock dividend or split, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, combination or exchange of shares or other similar corporate change. | ||
(d) | Voting of Common Stock. No Participant or Beneficiary shall be entitled to any voting rights with respect to any units credited to the Accounts. |
(a) | Deferral Accounts shall be one hundred percent (100%) Vested at all times. |
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(b) | Unless otherwise provided for in an appendix which is attached to this Plan document and incorporated herein by reference, Transfer Accounts shall be one hundred percent (100%) Vested at all times. |
(a) | March 1 of the year selected by the Participant in the Deferral Election that caused amounts to be credited to the Deferral Account, or, if the Participant has made a subsequent election pursuant to Section 8.2, March 1 of the year selected by the Participant in that subsequent election. | ||
(b) | March 1 immediately following the earliest to occur of the following events: |
(i) | the Participants death; | ||
(ii) | the Participants Separation From Service; and |
(c) | the date on which all outstanding Accounts are distributed due to the Plans Complete Termination. |
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(a) | Installments. If elected by the Participant in his or her Deferral Election, the Deferral Account credited with amounts attributable to that Deferral Election shall be paid in a series of annual installments selected by the Participant not to exceed ten (10) annual payments. Each annual installment payment shall be made as of the first day of March of the year for which payment is made. The amount of each installment payment shall be determined by dividing the amount credited to the Deferral Account as of the date on which the installment is to be paid by the number of remaining installment payments to be made from the Deferral Account (including the payment being determined). The Participants Accounts shall continue to be adjusted in accordance with the provisions of Article VI of the Plan. | ||
(b) | Lump Sum Election. If elected by the Participant in his or her Deferral Election, the Deferral Account credited with amounts attributable to that Deferral Election shall be paid in a single lump sum. | ||
(c) | Lump Sum Only. Notwithstanding any election by a Participant to the contrary, in the event distribution of the Vested Accounts of all of the Participants is made because of the Complete Termination of the Plan, the entire Vested Accounts of the Participants shall be payable only in a single lump sum. In the event no distribution election is made or is in effect with respect to a Deferral Account, the amount not subject to a valid distribution election shall be payable only in a single lump sum. |
(a) | For purposes of this section, unforeseeable emergency means a severe financial hardship resulting from (i) illness or accident of the Participant or his or her |
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spouse, beneficiary or dependent, (ii) loss of the Participants home or property due to casualty, or (iii) other similar extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances beyond the control of the Participant. For example, needs such as the following may constitute unforeseeable emergencies: (1) imminent foreclosure of or eviction from the Participants primary residence; (2) funeral expenses for the Participants spouse, beneficiary or dependent; or (3) uninsured medical expenses of the Participant or his or her spouse, beneficiary or dependent. |
(b) | Withdrawals are available both before and after a Participants Separation From Service. | ||
(c) | Withdrawals under this section are not permitted to the extent the Participants hardship is or may be relieved through reimbursement or compensation from insurance or otherwise, by liquidation of the Participants assets (to the extent liquidation would not cause a severe financial hardship), or by cessation of deferrals under the Plan. For this purpose, any additional compensation that is available from a qualified employer plan (including any loan) or that, due to the unforeseeable emergency, is available under another nonqualified deferred compensation plan may be disregarded. | ||
(d) | If a Participant takes a withdrawal under this section, his or her Deferral Election for the year in which the withdrawal occurs (if any) will be terminated and no Eligible Compensation will be deferred under Section 5.1 for the remainder of that year. | ||
(e) | The amount withdrawn shall not exceed the amount reasonably necessary to satisfy the unforeseeable emergency (which may include amounts necessary to pay any Federal, state, or local income taxes or penalties reasonably anticipated to result from the withdrawal). | ||
(f) | Withdrawal requests must be made in writing and are subject to approval by the Company. The Company has discretionary authority to determine the extent to which a payment available under this Section 8.5 will be made. The Participant must supply any financial or other information the Company determines is necessary to determine whether to permit the withdrawal. | ||
(g) | The Participants Account balances will be reduced by the amounts withdrawn. If the Participant has more than one Account, the Company will designate how the withdrawal amount is allocated among those Accounts at the time the withdrawal is paid. |
(a) | Right to Designate. Each Participant may designate, upon a form prescribed by and filed with the Company, one or more primary Beneficiaries or alternative Beneficiaries to receive all or a specified portion of any amounts which may be |
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payable with respect to the Participant under the Plan in the event of such Participants death. The Participant may change or revoke any such designation from time to time without notice to or consent from any Beneficiary. No such designation, change or revocation shall be effective unless executed by the Participant and received and accepted by the Company during the Participants lifetime. |
(b) | Failure of Designation. If a Participant: |
(i) | fails to designate a Beneficiary, | ||
(ii) | designates a Beneficiary and thereafter revokes such designation without naming another Beneficiary, or | ||
(iii) | designates one or more Beneficiaries and all such Beneficiaries so designated fail to survive the Participant, |
(i) | Participants surviving spouse, | ||
(ii) | Participants surviving children, except that is any of the Participants children predecease the Participant but leave descendants surviving, such descendants shall take by right of representation the share their parent would have taken if living, | ||
(iii) | Participants surviving parents, | ||
(iv) | Participants surviving brothers and sisters, | ||
(v) | Representative of Participants estate. |
(c) | Special Rules. Unless the Participant has otherwise specified in the Participants Beneficiary designation, the following rules shall apply: |
(i) | If there is not sufficient evidence that a Beneficiary was living at the time of the death of the Participant, it shall be deemed that the Beneficiary was not living at the time of the death of the Participant. | ||
(ii) | The automatic Beneficiaries specified in subsection (b) of this Section 8.6 and the Beneficiaries designated by the Participant shall become fixed at |
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the time of the Participants death so that, if a Beneficiary survives the Participant but dies before the receipt of all payments due such Beneficiary hereunder, such remaining payments shall be payable to the representative of such Beneficiarys estate. |
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(a) | on the specified date or any later date within the same taxable year of the Participant; | ||
(b) | by the 15th day of the third calendar month following the specified date, provided the Participant is not permitted directly or indirectly to specify the taxable year of payment; | ||
(c) | within the 30-day period prior to the specified date, provided the Participant is not permitted directly or indirectly to specify the taxable year of payment; | ||
(d) | during the first taxable year of the Participant in which the calculation of the amount payable is administratively practicable due to events beyond the control of the Participant (or the Participants beneficiary). |
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(a) | the amount, if any, payable to or with respect to a Participant who ceases to provide any Qualified Services to or with respect to a Participating Company as of the effective date of such amendment or the date on which the Participant ceases to provide such services shall not be, without the written consent of the Participant, diminished or delayed by such amendment or the termination of such services, and | ||
(b) | the amount, if any, payable to or with respect to each other Participant determined as if such Participant had ceased to provide any Qualified Services to or with respect to a Participating Company on the effective date of such amendment or the date on which the Participant is treated as if the Participant had ceased to provide such services shall not be, without the written consent of the Participant, diminished or delayed by such amendment or the termination of such services. |
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(a) | Original Claim. Any person may, if he or she so desires, file with the Company a written claim for amounts under this Plan. Within ninety (90) days after the filing of such a claim, the Company shall notify the claimant in writing whether the claim is upheld or denied in whole or in part or shall furnish the claimant a written notice describing specific special circumstances requiring a specified amount of additional time (but not more than one hundred eighty (180) days from the date the claim was filed) to reach a decision on the claim. If the claim is denied in whole or in part, the Company shall state in writing: |
(i) | the specific reasons for the denial; | ||
(ii) | the specific references to the pertinent provisions of the Plan document on which the denial is based; | ||
(iii) | a description of any additional material or information necessary for the claimant to perfect the claim and an explanation of why such material or information is necessary; and |
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(iv) | an explanation of the claims review procedure set forth in this section. |
(b) | Review of Denied Claim. Within sixty (60) days after receipt of notice that the claim has been denied in whole or in part, the claimant may file with the Board of Directors a written request for a review and may, in conjunction therewith, submit written issues and comments. Within sixty (60) days after the filing of such a request for review, the Board of Directors shall notify the claimant in writing whether, upon review, the claim was upheld or denied in whole or in part or shall furnish the claimant a written notice describing specific special circumstances requiring a specified amount of additional time (but not more than one hundred twenty (120) days from the date the request for review was filed) to reach a decision on the request for review. | ||
(c) | General Rules. |
(i) | No inquiry or question shall be deemed to be a claim or a request for a review of a denied claim unless made in accordance with the claims procedure. The Company may require that any claim for amounts and any request for a review of a denied claim be filed on forms to be furnished by the Company. Such forms will be furnished by the Company upon request. | ||
(ii) | All decisions on Original claims shall be made by the Company and all decisions on requests for a review of denied claims shall be made by the Board of Directors. | ||
(iii) | the Company and the Board of Directors may, in their discretion, hold one or more hearings on a claim or a request for a review of a denied claim. | ||
(iv) | A claimant may be represented by a lawyer or other representative (at the claimants own expense), but the Company and the Board of Directors reserve the right to require the claimant to furnish written authorization. A claimants representative shall be entitled, upon request, to copies of all notices given to the claimant. | ||
(v) | The decision of the Company on a claim and a decision of the Board of Directors on a request for a review of a denied claim shall be served on the claimant in writing. If a decision or notice is not received by a claimant within the time specified, the claim or request for a review of a denied claim shall be deemed to have been denied. | ||
(vi) | Prior to filing a claim or a request for a review of a denied claim, the claimant or his or her representative shall have a reasonable opportunity to review a copy of the Plan document and all other pertinent documents in the possession of the Company and the Board of Directors. |
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(vii) | The Company and the Board of Directors may permanently or temporarily delegate its responsibilities under this claims procedure to an individual or a committee of individuals. |
(a) | Limitations. No claim shall be considered under these administrative procedures unless it is filed with the Company within one (1) year after the claimant knew (or reasonably should have known) of the principal facts on which the claim is based. Every untimely claim shall be denied by the Company without regard to the merits of the claim. No legal action may be brought by any claimant on any matter pertaining to this Plan unless the legal action is commenced in the proper forum before the earlier of: |
(i) | two (2) years after the claimant knew (or reasonably should have known) of the principal facts on which the claim is based, or | ||
(ii) | ninety (90) days after the claimant has exhausted these administrative procedures. |
(b) | Exhaustion Required. The exhaustion of these administrative procedures is mandatory for resolving every claim and dispute arising under this Plan. As to such claims and disputes: |
(i) | no claimant shall be permitted to commence any legal action relating to any such claim or dispute unless a timely claim has been filed under these administrative procedures and these administrative procedures have been exhausted; and | ||
(ii) | in any such legal action all explicit and implicit determinations by the Company and the Board of Directors (including, but not limited to, determinations as to whether the claim was timely filed) shall be afforded the maximum deference permitted by law. |
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(a) | ERISA Status. This Plan is adopted with the understanding that it is an unfunded and unsecured plan maintained primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for certain individuals who are classified and treated as independent contractors and is not subject to any requirements of ERISA. Each provision shall be interpreted and administered accordingly. | ||
(b) | IRC Status. This Plan is intended to be a nonqualified deferred compensation arrangement. The rules of section 401(a) et. seq. of the Code shall not apply to this Plan. This restatement of the Plan effective as of January 1, 2008 is intended to satisfy the requirements of Code §409A and applicable guidance thereunder. This restatement shall be construed and administered accordingly. | ||
(c) | References to Laws. Any reference in this Plan document to a statute or regulation shall be considered also to mean and refer to any subsequent amendment or replacement of that statute or regulation. |
(a) | An individual shall be considered to have attained a given age on such individuals birthday for that age (and not on the day before). Individuals born on February 29 in a leap year shall be considered to have their birthdays on February 28 in each year that is not a leap year. |
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(b) | Whenever appropriate, words used herein in the singular may be read in the plural, or words used herein in the plural may be read in the singular; the masculine may include the feminine; and the words hereof, herein or hereunder or other similar compounds of the word here shall mean and refer to the entire Plan document and not to any particular paragraph or Section of the Plan document unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary. | ||
(c) | The titles given to the various sections of the Plan document are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not part of the Plan document, and they shall not be considered in determining the purpose, meaning or intent of any provision hereof. | ||
(d) | Notwithstanding anything apparently to the contrary contained in the Plan document, the Plan document shall be construed and administered to prevent the duplication of benefits provided under this Plan and any other qualified or nonqualified plan maintained in whole or in part by the Company, Wells Fargo & Company or any Affiliate. | ||
(e) | If a provision of the Plan shall be held to be illegal or invalid (in whole or in part), or if legislative, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, court or other action could in the opinion of the Plan Administrator cause a provision to be interpreted so as to cause Participants in the Plan to be in constructive receipt of amounts in their Accounts for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included. |
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COMPENSATION PLAN
(a) | A lump sum present value shall be calculated for the participants benefit under the H.D. Vest Plan benefit as of December 31, 2001, and that amount shall be credited to the participants Transfer Account under this Plan and shown as the opening balance of the Transfer Account on January 1, 2002. The following rules shall apply in determining the December 31, 2001, lump sum present value of each participants H.D. Vest Plan benefit: |
(i) | the present value of the benefit payable under the H.D. Vest Plan shall be determined as a lump sum amount as of December 31, 2001, and |
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(ii) | the present value of the benefit shall be calculated by determining the projected benefit of the participant as of the expiration of the deferral periods elected by the participant under the H.D. Vest Plan and in effect as of December 31, 2001, assuming continued service as an independent contractor for the remaining portion of the deferral periods elected, discounted for the difference between the elective deferral amounts credited to the participants account under the H.D. Vest Plan and the projected benefit for the deferral periods elected, using the following actuarial factors: |
(A) | the annual rate of interest on 30-year U.S. Treasury securities, and the mortality table determined from the table prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(I) of the Code based upon the prevailing standard table used to determine reserves for group annuity contracts; and | ||
(B) | the rate at which service as an independent contractor for the remaining portion of the deferral periods elected may continue. |
(b) | A Participant subject to this Section 1.4 shall complete a distribution election form pursuant to Article VIII of this Plan as in effect at the time of that election. Effective January 1, 2002, all distributions from the Participants Transfer Account shall be made in accordance with Article VIII. For purposes of applying Article VIII to a Transfer Account subject to this Section 1.4 after the restatement of this Plan that became effective January 1, 2008, the Transfer Account shall be subject to Article VIII as if it was a Deferral Account and the election made pursuant to this Section 1.4(b) was made in the Deferral Election for that Deferral Account. | ||
(c) | A Participant subject to this Section 1.4 shall complete an investment request form for the Transfer Account subject to the provisions of Article VI of this Plan. The provisions of Article VI shall apply to the Transfer Account effective January 1, 2002. If the Participant elects to have all or a portion of his or her Transfer Account measured by the value of the Common Stock, the Company shall credit the Participants Transfer Account with an additional amount equal to 10% of the amount of the Transfer Account that the Participant elected to be measured by the value of the Common Stock. Such additional amount shall be measured by the value of the Common Stock pursuant to the provisions of Article VI of this Plan. No Participant shall be entitled to allocate or reallocate any such additional amounts (including any adjustments to such amounts under Section 6.2(c) of the Plan) to an investment option other than one based on the value of Company Stock unless the Company determines that such an investment option will no longer be available. |
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(d) | The Participants Transfer Account shall be one hundred percent (100%) Vested at all times. |
(a) | The Transfer Account payable to or on behalf of such Participant shall be determined as of any date determined by the Company by calculating the benefit payable to the Participant based on the amounts credited to the participants H.D. Vest Plan accounts as of December 31, 2001, and the elections made by the participant under the H.D. Vest Plan prior to December 31, 2001. | ||
(b) | Subject to paragraph (c) of this Section 1.5, the Transfer Account so established for such Participant shall be credited at the end of the deferral periods originally selected under the H.D. Vest Plan with an additional amount determined as follows: |
As a Percentage of the Deferral Amount
Deferral Period | Amount Credited | |||||||
Option 1: 36 month period | 41 | % | ||||||
Option 2: 60 month period | 85 | % | ||||||
Option 3: 84 month period | 151 | % | ||||||
Option 4: 120 month period | 305 | % |
(c) | Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, if, however, a Participant for whom a Transfer Account is established pursuant to this Section 1.5 ceases to provide any investment or other services to or with respect to a Participating Company before the expiration of the deferral period elected by the Participant under the H.D. Vest Plan, attainment of age 65, death or Disability, no additional amounts shall be credited to the Participants Transfer Account under Section 1.5(b) of this Appendix A. | ||
(d) | The amount credited to the Transfer Account under this Section 1.5 shall be distributed to or on behalf of the Participant in cash on a bi-monthly basis over the period of thirty-six (36), sixty (60), eighty-four (84), or one hundred twenty (120) consecutive months following the end of the deferral period as originally selected by the Participant with respect to amounts deferred under the H.D. Vest Plan. Notwithstanding anything in the H.D. Vest Plan to the contrary, if a Participant dies or becomes disabled before all of his or her Transfer Account has been distributed, the amount remaining shall be distributed at the same times and in the |
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