Exhibit 10.20 WEST BANCORPORATION, INC. EMPLOYEE SAVINGS AND STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN

The Primary Employer previously established a retirement plan on January 1, 1965.

The Plan is being restated effective January 1, 2014, and is set forth in this document which is substituted in lieu of the prior document with the exception of any interim amendment and any model amendment that have not been incorporated in to this restatement. Such amendment(s) shall continue to apply to this restated plan until such provisions are integrated into the plan or such amendment(s) are superseded by another amendment.

It is intended that the restated 401(k) plan qualify as a profit sharing plan under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, including any later amendments to the Code. The Employer agrees to operate the plan according to the terms, provisions, and conditions set forth in this document.

The restated plan continues to be for the exclusive benefit of employees of the Employer. All persons covered under the plan before the effective date of this restatement shall continue to be covered under the restated plan with no loss of benefits.

This Plan includes the statutory, regulatory, and guidance changes specified in the 2012 Cumulative List of Changes in Plan Qualification Requirements (2012 Cumulative List) contained in Internal Revenue Service Notice 2012-76 and the qualification requirements and guidance published before the issuance of such list. The provisions of this Plan apply as of the effective date of the restatement unless otherwise specified.

It is intended that the Plan shall consist of two components. One component of the Plan is intended to qualify as a profit sharing plan under Code Section 401(a) that includes a qualified cash or deferred arrangement under Code Section 401(k) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. This component includes contributions that are invested in funds other than company stock. This component of the Plan provides for participant-directed investments and is intended to comply with ERISA Section 404(c). This component is to be considered the Non-ESOP Portion of the Plan. The other component is intended to qualify as a qualified stock bonus plan under Code Section 401(a), and as an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) under Code Section 4975(e)(7) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, including any later amendments to the Code. This component includes contributions invested in company stock and shall be considered the ESOP Portion of the Plan. The ESOP Portion of the Plan is intended to primarily invest in common stock of the Employer. The underlying Trust for both components of the Plan is intended to be exempt from taxation under Code Section 501.

The purpose of this Plan is to offer Participants a systematic program for accumulation of retirement and savings income, as well as a means to obtaining beneficial interest of ownership in company stock. The ESOP component of the Plan is intended to primarily invest in common stock of the Employer.

Words and phrases defined in the DEFINITIONS SECTION of Article I shall have that defined meaning when used in this Plan, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. These words and phrases have initial capital letters to aid in identifying them as defined terms.

Account means the Participant’s share of the Plan Fund. Separate accounting records are kept for those parts of his Account resulting from:

(a)Pre-tax Elective Deferral Contributions

(b)Roth Elective Deferral Contributions

(c)Qualified Matching Contributions

(d)Qualified Nonelective Contributions

(e)Other Employer Contributions

(f)Rollover Contributions

(g)Diversification

If the Participant's Vesting Percentage is less than 100% as to any of the Employer Contributions, a separate accounting record will be kept for any part of his Account resulting from such Employer Contributions and, if there has been a prior Forfeiture Date, from such Contributions made before a prior Forfeiture Date.

A Participant's Account shall be reduced by any distribution of his Vested Account and by any Forfeitures. A Participant's Account shall participate in the earnings credited, expenses charged, and any appreciation or depreciation of the Investment Fund. His Account is subject to any minimum guarantees applicable under the Annuity Contract or other investment arrangement.

A Participant who elects diversification in accordance with subparagraph (b) under the INVESTMENT IN QUALIFYING EMPLOYER SECURITIES SECTION of Article IV shall have such amount credited to the Diversification Portion of the Account, which is maintained under the Non-ESOP Portion of the Plan.

Accounts and subaccounts, in addition to those specified above, may also be maintained if considered appropriate in the administration of the Plan.

Accrual Computation Period means a consecutive 12-month period ending on the last day of each Plan Year, including corresponding consecutive 12-month periods before the effective date of this Plan.

ACP Test means the nondiscrimination test described in Code Section 401(m)(2) as provided for in the EXCESS AMOUNTS SECTION of Article III.

ACP Test Safe Harbor means the method described in the 401(k) SAFE HARBOR PROVISIONS SECTION of Article III for satisfying the ACP Test with respect to Matching Contributions.

Active Participant means an Eligible Employee who is actively participating in the Plan according to the provisions in the ACTIVE PARTICIPANT SECTION of Article II.

ADP Test means the nondiscrimination test described in Code Section 401(k)(3) as provided for in the EXCESS AMOUNTS SECTION of Article III.

ADP Test Safe Harbor means the method described in the 401(k) SAFE HARBOR PROVISIONS SECTION of Article III for satisfying the ADP Test.

Affiliated Service Group means any group of corporations, partnerships or other organizations of which the Employer is a part and that is affiliated within the meaning of Code Section 414(m) and the regulations thereunder. The term Controlled Group, as it is used in this Plan, shall include the term Affiliated Service Group.

Alternate Payee means any spouse, former spouse, child, or other dependent of a Participant who is recognized by a qualified domestic relations order as having a right to receive all, or a portion of, the benefits payable under the Plan with respect to such Participant.

Annual Compensation means, for a Plan Year, the Employee’s Compensation for the Compensation Year ending with or within the consecutive 12-month period ending on the last day of the Plan Year.

Annual Compensation shall exclude Compensation for the portion of the Compensation Year in which an Employee is not an Active Participant.

Annuity Contract means the annuity contract or contracts into which the Trustee or the Primary Employer enters with the Insurer for guaranteed benefits, for the investment of Contributions in separate accounts, and for the payment of benefits under this Plan.

Annuity Starting Date means, for a Participant, the first day of the first period for which an amount is payable as an annuity or any other form.

Beneficiary means the person or persons named by a Participant to receive any benefits under the Plan when the Participant dies. See the BENEFICIARY SECTION of Article X.

Catch-up Contributions means Elective Deferral Contributions made to the Plan that are in excess of an otherwise applicable Plan limit and that are made by Participants who are age 50 or older by the end of the taxable year. An otherwise applicable Plan limit is a limit in the Plan that applies to Elective Deferral Contributions without regard to Catch-up Contributions, such as the limits on the Maximum Annual Additions, as defined in the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of Article III, the dollar limitation on Elective Deferral Contributions under Code Section 402(g) (not counting Catch-up Contributions), and the limit imposed by the ADP Test.

Catch-up Contributions are not subject to the limits on the Maximum Annual Additions, as defined in the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of Article III, are not counted in the ADP Test, and are not counted in determining the minimum allocation under Code Section 416 (but Catch-up Contributions made in prior years are counted in determining whether the Plan is top-heavy).

Claimant means any person who makes a claim for benefits under this Plan. See the CLAIM PROCEDURES SECTION of Article IX.

Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Compensation means, except for purposes of the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of Article III and Article XI, the total earnings, except as modified in this definition, from the Employer during any specified period.

"Earnings" in this definition means wages, within the meaning of Code Section 3401(a), and all other payments of compensation to an Employee by the Employer (in the course of the Employer’s trade or business) for which the Employer is required to furnish the Employee a written statement under Code Sections 6041(d), 6051(a)(3), and 6052. Earnings shall be determined without regard to any rules under Code Section 3401(a) that limit the remuneration included in wages based on the nature or location of the employment or the services performed (such as the exception for agricultural labor in Code Section 3401(a)(2)). The type of compensation that is reported in the "Wages, Tips and Other Compensation" box on Form W-2 satisfies this definition.

For any Self-employed Individual, Compensation means Earned Income.

Except as provided herein, Compensation for a specified period is the Compensation actually paid or made available (or if earlier, includible in gross income) during such period.

Compensation for a Plan Year shall also include Compensation paid by the later of 2 1/2 months after an Employee’s Severance from Employment with the Employer maintaining the Plan or the end of the Plan Year that includes the date of the Employee’s Severance from Employment with the Employer maintaining the Plan, if the payment is regular Compensation for services during the Employee’s regular working hours, or Compensation for services outside the Employee’s regular working hours (such as overtime or shift differential), commissions, bonuses, or other similar payments, and, absent a Severance from Employment, the payments would have been paid to the Employee while the Employee continued in employment with the Employer.

Any payments not described above shall not be considered Compensation if paid after Severance from Employment, even if they are paid by the later of 2 1/2 months after the date of Severance from Employment or the end of the Plan Year that includes the date of Severance from Employment.

Back pay, within the meaning of section 1.415(c)-2(g)(8) of the regulations, shall be treated as Compensation for the Plan Year to which the back pay relates to the extent the back pay represents wages and compensation that would otherwise be included in this definition.

Compensation paid or made available during a specified period shall include amounts that would otherwise be included in Compensation, but for an election under Code Section 125(a), 132(f)(4), 402(e)(3), 402(h)(1)(B), 402(k), or 457(b). Compensation shall also include employee contributions picked up by a governmental entity and, pursuant to Code Section 414(h)(2), treated as Employer contributions.

Compensation shall exclude reimbursements or other expense allowances, fringe benefits (cash and noncash), moving expenses, deferred compensation (other than elective contributions), and welfare benefits.

Compensation shall exclude the following:

bonuses

commissions

Notwithstanding the foregoing, commissions paid up to $100,000 to mortgage originators shall be included in Compensation.

For purposes of the EXCESS AMOUNTS SECTION of Article III, the Employer may elect to use an alternative nondiscriminatory definition of Compensation in accordance with the regulations under Code Section 414(s).

The annual Compensation of each Participant taken into account in determining contributions and allocations for any determination period (the period over which Compensation is determined) shall not exceed $200,000, as adjusted for cost-of-living increases in accordance with Code Section 401(a)(17)(B). The cost-of-living adjustment in effect for a calendar year applies to any determination period beginning with or within such calendar year. In modification of the foregoing, Elective Deferral Contributions may be made with respect to Compensation that exceeds the annual compensation limit, provided such Elective Deferral Contributions otherwise satisfy any applicable limitations.

If a determination period consists of fewer than 12 months, the annual compensation limit is an amount equal to the otherwise applicable annual compensation limit multiplied by a fraction. The numerator of the fraction is the number of months in the short determination period, and the denominator of the fraction is 12.

If Compensation for any prior determination period is taken into account in determining a Participant's contributions or allocations for the current Plan Year, the Compensation for such prior determination period is subject to the applicable annual compensation limit in effect for that determination period.

Compensation means, for a Leased Employee, Compensation for the services the Leased Employee performs for the Employer, determined in the same manner as the Compensation of Employees who are not Leased Employees, regardless of whether such Compensation is received directly from the Employer or from the leasing organization.

Compensation Year means the period used to determine Compensation. The Compensation Year is the consecutive 12-month period ending on the last day of each Plan Year, including corresponding periods before the effective date of the Plan.

Contributions means Employer Contributions and Rollover Contributions as set out in Article III, unless the context clearly indicates only specific contributions are meant.

Controlled Group means any group of corporations, trades, or businesses of which the Employer is a part that is under common control. A Controlled Group includes any group of corporations, trades, or businesses, whether or not incorporated, which is either a parent-subsidiary group, a brother-sister group, or a combined group within the meaning of Code Section 414(b), Code Section 414(c) and the regulations thereunder and, for purposes of determining contribution limitations under the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of Article III, as modified by Code Section 415(h). The term Controlled Group, as it is used in this Plan, shall include the term Affiliated Service Group and any other employer required to be aggregated with the Employer under Code Section 414(o) and the regulations thereunder.

Designated Beneficiary means the individual who is designated by the Participant (or the Participant’s surviving spouse) as the Beneficiary of the Participant’s interest under the Plan and who is the designated beneficiary under Code Section 401(a)(9) and section 1.401(a)(9)-4 of the regulations.

Differential Wage Payments means any payments that are made by an Employer to an individual with respect to any period during which the individual is performing Qualified Military Service while on active duty for a period of more than 30 days. Such payments shall be made in accordance with Code Section 3401(h) and represent all or a portion of the wages the individual would have received from the Employer if the individual were performing service for the Employer.

Direct Rollover means a payment by the Plan to the Eligible Retirement Plan specified by the Distributee.

Discretionary Contributions means discretionary Employer Contributions. See the EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article III.

Distributee means an Employee or former Employee. In addition, the Employee's (or former Employee's) surviving spouse and the Employee's (or former Employee's) spouse or former spouse who is the Alternate Payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in Code Section 414(p), are Distributees with regard to the interest of the spouse or former spouse. For distributions made after December 31, 2006, a Distributee includes the Employee’s (or former Employee’s) nonspouse Designated Beneficiary, in which case, the distribution can only be transferred to a traditional IRA or Roth IRA established on behalf of the nonspouse Designated Beneficiary for the purpose of receiving the distribution.

Diversification means the portion of a Participant’s Account consisting of Qualifying Employer Securities that the Participant elects to be invested in investment options other than Qualifying Employer Securities pursuant to Code Section 401(a)(28)(B) and subparagraph (b) under the INVESTMENT IN QUALIFYING EMPLOYER SECURITIES SECTION of Article IV of this Plan.

Earned Income means, for a Self-employed Individual, net earnings from self-employment in the trade or business for which this Plan is established if such Self-employed Individual’s personal services are a material income producing factor for that trade or business. Net earnings shall be determined without regard to items not included in gross income and the deductions properly allocable to or chargeable against such items. Net earnings shall be reduced for the employer contributions to the employer’s qualified retirement plan(s) to the extent deductible under Code Section 404.

Net earnings shall be determined with regard to the deduction allowed to the employer by Code Section 164(f) for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1989.

Elective Deferral Agreement means an agreement between an Eligible Employee and the Employer under which an Eligible Employee may make Elective Deferral Contributions. An Elective Deferral Agreement (or change thereto) must be made in such manner and in accordance with such rules as the Employer may prescribe in a nondiscriminatory manner (including by means of voice response or other electronic system under circumstances the Employer permits). Elective Deferral Agreements cannot relate to Compensation that is payable prior to the later of the adoption or effective date of the cash or deferred arrangement (CODA). Elective Deferral Agreements shall be made, changed, or terminated according to the provisions of the EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article III. An Elective Deferral Agreement may also be terminated according to the terms of an automatic contribution arrangement.

Elective Deferral Contributions means Employer Contributions made in accordance with either an Elective Deferral Agreement or the terms of an automatic contribution arrangement.

Elective Deferral Contributions means Pre-tax Elective Deferral Contributions and Roth Elective Deferral Contributions, unless the context clearly indicates only one is meant.

 

Elective Deferral Contributions shall be 100% vested and subject to the distribution restrictions of Code Section 401(k) when made. See the WHEN BENEFITS START SECTION of Article V.

Eligibility Service means an Employee's Period of Service. Eligibility Service shall be measured from his Employment Commencement Date to his most recent Severance Date. This Period of Service shall be reduced by any Period of Severance that occurred prior to his most recent Severance Date, unless such Period of Severance is included under the service spanning rule below. This period of Eligibility Service shall be expressed as months (on the basis that 30 days equal one month).

However, Eligibility Service is modified as follows:

Period of Military Duty included:

A Period of Military Duty shall be included as service with the Employer to the extent it has not already been credited.

 

Period of Severance included (service spanning rule):

A Period of Severance shall be deemed to be a Period of Service under either of the following conditions:

Controlled Group service included:

An Employee's service with a member firm of a Controlled Group while both that firm and the Employer were members of the Controlled Group shall be included as service with the Employer.

 

Eligible Employee means any Employee of the Employer.

However, to the extent an Employee becomes an Employee as a result of a Code Section 410(b)(6)(C) transaction, that Employee shall not be an Eligible Employee during the period beginning on the date of the transaction and ending on the last day of the first Plan Year beginning after the date of the transaction. This period is called the transition period. The transition period may end earlier if there is a significant change in the coverage under the Plan or if the Employer chooses to cover all similarly situated Employees as of an earlier date. A Code Section 410(b)(6)(C) transaction is an asset or stock acquisition, merger, or similar transaction involving a change in the employer of the employees of a trade or business.

Eligible Retirement Plan means an eligible plan under Code Section 457(b) which is maintained by a state, political subdivision of a state, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or political subdivision of a state and which agrees to separately account for amounts transferred into such plan from this Plan, a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, an annuity plan described in Code Section 403(a), an annuity contract described in Code Section 403(b), or a qualified plan described in Code Section 401(a), that accepts the Distributee's Eligible Rollover Distribution. The definition of Eligible Retirement Plan shall also apply in the case of a distribution to a surviving spouse, or to a spouse or former spouse who is the Alternate Payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in Code Section 414(p).

If any portion of an Eligible Rollover Distribution is attributable to payments or distributions from a designated Roth account, an Eligible Retirement Plan with respect to such portion shall include only (i) another designated Roth account of the individual from whose Account the payments or distributions were made or (ii) a Roth IRA of such individual.

Eligible Rollover Distribution means any distribution of all or any portion of the balance to the credit of the Distributee, except that an Eligible Rollover Distribution does not include: (i) any distribution that is one of a series of substantially equal periodic payments (not less frequently than annually) made for the life (or life expectancy) of the Distributee or the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the Distributee and the Distributee's Designated Beneficiary, or for a specified period of ten years or more; (ii) any distribution to the extent such distribution is required under Code Section 401(a)(9); (iii) any hardship distribution; and (iv) any other distribution(s) that is reasonably expected to total less than $200 during a year. For purposes of the $200 rule, a distribution from a designated Roth account and a distribution from other accounts under the Plan shall be treated as made under separate plans.

Any portion of a distribution that consists of after-tax employee contributions that are not includible in gross income may be transferred only to (i) a traditional individual retirement account or annuity described in Code Section 408(a) or (b) (a traditional IRA); (ii) a Roth individual retirement account or annuity described in Code Section 408A (a Roth IRA); or (iii) a qualified plan or an annuity contract described in Code Section 401(a) and 403(b), respectively, that agrees to separately account for amounts so transferred, including separately accounting for the portion of such distribution which is includible in gross income and the portion of such distribution which is not so includible.

Employee means an individual who is employed by the Employer or any other employer required to be aggregated with the Employer under Code Sections 414(b), (c), (m), or (o). A Controlled Group member is required to be aggregated with the Employer.

The term Employee shall include any individual receiving Differential Wage Payments.

The term Employee shall include any Self-employed Individual treated as an employee of any employer described in the preceding paragraphs as provided in Code Section 401(c)(1).

The term Employee shall also include any Leased Employee deemed to be an employee of any employer described in the preceding paragraphs as provided in Code Section 414(n) or (o).

An independent contractor is not an Employee. If the Internal Revenue Service determines that an individual who the Employer considered to be an independent contractor, or the employee of an independent contractor, is an Employee, such individual shall be an Employee as of the reclassification date. RESTATEMENT JANUARY 1, 2014 9 ARTICLE I (8-1401)

Employer means, except for purposes of the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of Article III, the Primary Employer, and any Controlled Group Member who has adopted the Plan with consent from the Primary Employer. This will also include any successor corporation, trade or business which will, by written agreement, assume the obligations of this Plan or any Predecessor Employer that maintained this Plan.

Employer Contributions means

Elective Deferral Contributions

Matching Contributions

Qualified Nonelective Contributions

Discretionary Contributions

as set out in Article III and contributions made by the Employer in accordance with the provisions of the MODIFICATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article XI, unless the context clearly indicates only specific contributions are meant.

Employment Commencement Date means the date an Employee first performs an Hour of Service.

Entry Date means the date an Employee first enters the Plan as an Active Participant for purposes of specified Contributions. See the ACTIVE PARTICIPANT SECTION of Article II.

ERISA means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

ESOP Portion of the Plan means the portion of Elective Deferral Contributions, Matching Contributions, Qualified Nonelective Contributions, Discretionary Contributions, and Rollover Contributions that are primarily invested in Qualifying Employer Securities.

Exempt Loan means a loan or other extension of credit to the Plan, made in accordance with the INVESTMENT IN QUALIFYING EMPLOYER SECURITIES SECTION of Article IV, to enable the Plan to acquire shares of Qualifying Employer Securities, or to refinance a prior Exempt Loan.

Forfeiture means the part, if any, of a Participant's Account that is forfeited. See the FORFEITURES SECTION of Article III.

Forfeiture Date means the date the Participant incurs five consecutive Vesting Breaks in Service.

Highly Compensated Employee means any Employee who:

For this purpose the applicable year of the plan for which a determination is being made is called a determination year and the preceding 12-month period is called a look-back year.

The determination of who is a highly compensated former Employee is based on the rules applicable to determining Highly Compensated Employee status as in effect for that determination year, in accordance with section 1.414(q)-1T, A-4 of the temporary Income Tax Regulations and Internal Revenue Service Notice 97-45.

The determination of who is a Highly Compensated Employee, including the compensation that is considered and the identity of the 5-percent owners, shall be made in accordance with Code Section 414(q) and the regulations thereunder.

For purposes of this definition, the above references to compensation shall mean Compensation as defined in the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of Article III.

 

Hour of Service means, for the elapsed time method of crediting service in this Plan, each hour for which an Employee is paid, or entitled to payment, for performing duties for the Employer. Hour of Service means, for the hours method of crediting service in this Plan, the following:

For purposes of this subparagraph (b), a payment shall be deemed to be made by, or due from the Employer, regardless of whether such payment is made by, or due from the Employer, directly or indirectly through, among others, a trust fund or insurer, to which the Employer contributes or pays premiums and regardless of whether contributions made or due to the trust fund, insurer or other entity are for the benefit of particular employees or are on behalf of a group of employees in the aggregate.

The crediting of Hours of Service above shall be applied under the rules of paragraphs (b) and (c) of the Department of Labor Regulation 2530.200b-2 (including any interpretations or opinions implementing such rules); which rules, by this reference, are specifically incorporated in full within this Plan. The reference to paragraph (b) applies to the special rule for determining Hours of Service for reasons other than the performance of duties such as payments calculated (or not calculated) on the basis of units of time and the rule against double credit. The reference to paragraph (c) applies to the crediting of Hours of Service to computation periods.

Hours of Service shall be credited for employment with any other employer required to be aggregated with the Employer under Code Sections 414(b), (c), (m), or (o) and the regulations thereunder for purposes of eligibility and vesting. Hours of Service shall also be credited for any individual who is considered an employee for purposes of this Plan pursuant to Code Section 414(n) or (o) and the regulations thereunder.

 

Solely for purposes of determining whether a one-year break in service has occurred for eligibility or vesting purposes, during a Parental Absence an Employee shall be credited with the Hours of Service which would otherwise have been credited to the Employee but for such absence, or in any case in which such hours cannot be determined, eight Hours of Service per day of such absence. The Hours of Service credited under this paragraph shall be credited in the computation period in which the absence begins if the crediting is necessary to prevent a break in service in that period; or in all other cases, in the following computation period.

Inactive Participant means a former Active Participant who has an Account. See the INACTIVE PARTICIPANT SECTION of Article II.

Insurer means Principal Life Insurance Company or the insurance company or companies named by (i) the Primary Employer or (ii) the Trustee in its discretion or as directed under the Trust Agreement.

Investment Fund means the total of Plan assets, excluding the guaranteed benefit policy portion of any Annuity Contract. All or a portion of these assets may be held under, or invested pursuant to, the terms of a Trust Agreement.

The Investment Fund shall be valued at current fair market value as of the Valuation Date. The valuation shall take into consideration investment earnings credited, expenses charged, payments made, and changes in the values of the assets held in the Investment Fund.

The Investment Fund shall be allocated at all times to Participants, except as otherwise expressly provided in the Plan. The Account of a Participant shall be credited with its share of the gains and losses of the Investment Fund. The part of a Participant’s Account invested in a funding arrangement that establishes one or more accounts or investment vehicles for such Participant thereunder shall be credited with the gain or loss from such accounts or investment vehicles. The part of a Participant’s Account invested in other funding arrangements shall be credited with a proportionate share of the gain or loss of such investments. The share shall be determined by multiplying the gain or loss of the investment by the ratio of the part of the Participant’s Account invested in such funding arrangement to the total of the Investment Fund invested in such funding arrangement.

Investment Manager means any fiduciary (other than a trustee or Named Fiduciary)

 

Late Retirement Date means any day that is after a Participant's Normal Retirement Date and on which retirement benefits begin. If a Participant continues to work for the Employer after his Normal Retirement Date, his Late Retirement Date shall be the day he has a Severance from Employment. In modification of the foregoing, a Participant may elect to begin his retirement benefits before he has a Severance from Employment. A later Retirement Date (after a Severance from Employment) may apply if the Participant so elects. See the WHEN BENEFITS START SECTION of Article V.

Leased Employee means any person (other than an employee of the recipient) who, pursuant to an agreement between the recipient and any other person ("leasing organization"), has performed services for the recipient (or for the recipient and related persons determined in accordance with Code Section 414(n)(6)) on a substantially full time basis for a period of at least one year, and such services are performed under primary direction or control by the recipient. Contributions or benefits provided by the leasing organization to a Leased Employee, which are attributable to service performed for the recipient employer, shall be treated as provided by the recipient employer.

A Leased Employee shall not be considered an employee of the recipient if:

Loan Administrator means the person(s) or position(s) authorized to administer the Participant loan program.

The Loan Administrator is Alice Jensen.

Mandatory Distribution means a distribution to a Participant that is made without the Participant’s consent and is made to the Participant before he attains the older of age 62 or his Normal Retirement Age.

Matching Contributions means Employer Contributions that are contingent on a Participant’s Elective Deferral Contributions. See the EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article III.

Monthly Date means each Yearly Date and the same day of each following month during the Plan Year beginning on such Yearly Date.

Named Fiduciary means the person or persons who have authority to control and manage the operation and administration of the Plan.

The Named Fiduciary is the Employer.

Net Profits means the Employer’s current or accumulated net earnings, determined according to generally accepted accounting practices, before any Contributions made by the Employer under this Plan and before any deduction for Federal or state income tax, dividends on the Employer’s stock, and capital gains or losses.

Non-ESOP Portion of the Plan means the portion of Elective Deferral Contributions, Matching Contributions, Qualified Nonelective Contributions, Discretionary Contributions, and Rollover Contributions to the Plan that are invested in assets other than Qualifying Employer Securities.

Nonhighly Compensated Employee means an Employee of the Employer who is not a Highly Compensated Employee.

Nonvested Account means the excess, if any, of a Participant's Account over his Vested Account.

 

Normal Retirement Age means the age at which the Participant's Account becomes nonforfeitable if he is an Employee. A Participant's Normal Retirement Age is 65.

Normal Retirement Date means the date the Participant reaches his Normal Retirement Age. Unless otherwise provided in this Plan, a Participant's retirement benefits shall begin on his Normal Retirement Date if he has had a Severance from Employment on such date. Even if the Participant is an Employee on his Normal Retirement Date, he may choose to have his retirement benefit begin on such date.

Parental Absence means an Employee's absence from work:

 

Participant means either an Active Participant or an Inactive Participant.

Period of Military Duty means, for an Employee

the period of time from the date the Employee was first absent from active work for the Employer because of such military duty to the date the Employee was reemployed.

Period of Service means a period of time beginning on an Employee's Employment Commencement Date (or reemployment commencement date, if applicable) and ending on his Severance Date. For purposes of this definition, reemployment commencement date means the date an Employee first performs an Hour of Service following a one-year Period of Severance.

 

Period of Severance means a period of time beginning on an Employee's Severance Date and ending on the date he again performs an Hour of Service.

A one-year Period of Severance means a Period of Severance of 12 consecutive months.

Solely for purposes of determining whether a one-year Period of Severance has occurred for eligibility or vesting purposes, the consecutive 12-month period beginning on the first anniversary of the first date of a Parental Absence shall not be a one-year Period of Severance.

Plan means the 401(k) plan of the Employer set forth in this document, including any later amendments to it.

Plan Administrator means the person or persons who administer the Plan.

The Plan Administrator is the Primary Employer.

Plan Fund means the total of the Investment Fund and the guaranteed benefit policy portion of any Annuity Contract. The Investment Fund shall be valued as stated in its definition. The guaranteed benefit policy portion of any Annuity Contract shall be determined in accordance with the terms of the Annuity Contract and, to the extent that such Annuity Contract allocates contract values to Participants, allocated to Participants in accordance with its terms. The total value of all amounts held under the Plan Fund shall equal the value of the aggregate Participants’ Accounts under the Plan.

Plan Year means a consecutive 12-month period beginning on a Yearly Date and ending on the day before the next Yearly Date. If the Yearly Date changes, the change will result in a short Plan Year.

Plan-year Quarter means a period beginning on a Quarterly Date and ending on the day before the next Quarterly Date.

Predecessor Employer means, except for purposes of the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of Article III, a firm of which the Employer was once a part (e.g., due to a spinoff or change of corporate status) or a firm absorbed by the Employer because of a merger or acquisition (stock or asset, including a division or an operation of such company).

Pre-tax Elective Deferral Contributions means a Participant’s Elective Deferral Contributions that are not includible in the Participant’s gross income at the time deferred.

Primary Employer means West Bancorporation, Inc., which is operating as a C-corporation in accordance with applicable state laws of incorporation.

Qualified Matching Contributions means Matching Contributions that are 100% vested when made to the Plan and that are distributable only in accordance with the distribution provisions applicable to Elective Deferral Contributions, to the extent Qualified Matching Contributions can be distributed under such distribution provision. See the EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article III.

Qualified Military Service means any service in the uniformed services (as defined in Chapter 43 of Title 38 of the U.S. Code) by any individual if such individual is entitled to reemployment rights under such chapter with respect to such service.

Qualified Nonelective Contributions means Employer Contributions (other than Elective Deferral Contributions and Qualified Matching Contributions) that are 100% vested when made to the Plan and that are distributable only in accordance with the distribution provisions applicable to Elective Deferral Contributions, to the extent Qualified Nonelective Contributions can be distributed under such distribution provision. See the EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article III.

Qualifying Employer Securities means common stock issued by the Employer or any Controlled Group member which is readily tradable (per IRS Notice 2011-19) on an established securities market as defined in section 1.401(a)(35)-1(f)(5)(ii) of the Treasury Regulations. If there is no common stock which meets the requirements in the preceding sentence, Qualifying Employer Securities means common stock issued by the Employer or any Controlled Group member having a combination of voting power and dividend rights equal to or in excess of (i) that class of common stock of the Employer or any Controlled Group member having the greatest voting power, and (ii) that class of common stock of the Employer or any Controlled Group member having the greatest dividend rights.

Noncallable preferred stock shall be treated as Qualifying Employer Securities if such stock is convertible at any time into stock which would meet the requirements stated above, and if such conversion is at a conversion price which (as of the date of the acquisition by the Plan) is reasonable. For purposes of the preceding sentence, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, preferred stock shall be treated as noncallable if after the call there will be a reasonable opportunity for a conversion which meets the requirements of the preceding sentence.

Qualifying Employer Securities Fund means that part of the assets of the Trust Fund that are designated to be held primarily or exclusively in Qualifying Employer Securities for the purpose of providing benefits for Participants. Such fund shall be the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) component of the Plan.

Quarterly Date means each Yearly Date and the third, sixth, and ninth Monthly Date after each Yearly Date that is within the same Plan Year.

Reentry Date means the date a former Active Participant reenters the Plan. See the ACTIVE PARTICIPANT SECTION of Article II.

Retirement Date means the date a retirement benefit will begin and is a Participant's Normal or Late Retirement Date, as the case may be.

Rollover Contributions means the Rollover Contributions that are made by an Eligible Employee or an Inactive Participant according to the provisions of the ROLLOVER CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article III.

Roth Elective Deferral Contributions means a Participant’s Elective Deferral Contributions that are not excludible from the Participant’s gross income at the time deferred and have been irrevocably designated as Roth Elective Deferral Contributions by the Participant in his Elective Deferral Agreement. Whether an Elective Deferral Contribution is not excludible from a Participant’s gross income will be determined in accordance with section 1.401(k)-1(f)(2) of the regulations. In the case of a Self-employed Individual, an Elective Deferral Contribution is not excludible from gross income only if the individual does not claim a deduction for such amount.

Self-employed Individual means, with respect to any taxable year, an individual who has Earned Income for the taxable year (or who would have Earned Income but for the fact the trade or business for which this Plan is established did not have net profits for such taxable year).

Severance Date means the earlier of:

Solely to determine whether a one-year Period of Severance has occurred for eligibility or vesting purposes for an Employee who is absent from service beyond the first anniversary of the first day of a Parental Absence, Severance Date is the second anniversary of the first day of the Parental Absence. The period between the first and second anniversaries of the first day of the Parental Absence is not a Period of Service and is not a Period of Severance.

 

Severance from Employment means, except for purposes of the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of Article III, an Employee has ceased to be an Employee. An Employee does not have a severance from employment if, in connection with a change of employment, the Employee’s new employer maintains such Plan with respect to the Employee. The Plan Administrator shall determine if a Severance from Employment has occurred in accordance with the regulations that are applicable to such determination.

 

Totally and Permanently Disabled means the Participant, because of a physical or mental disability, will be unable to perform the duties of his customary position of employment (or is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity) for an indefinite period which the Plan Administrator considers will be of long continued duration. A Participant also is disabled if he incurs the permanent loss or loss of use of a member or function of the body, or is permanently disfigured, and incurs a Separate from Service. The Plan Administrator may require a Participant to submit to a physical examination in order to confirm Totally and Permanently Disabled. The Plan Administrator will apply this definition in a nondiscriminatory, consistent, and uniform manner.

Trust Agreement means an agreement or agreements of trust between the Primary Employer and Trustee established for the purpose of holding and distributing the Trust Fund under the provisions of the Plan. The Trust Agreement may provide for the investment of all or any portion of the Trust Fund in the Annuity Contract or any other investment arrangement.

Trust Fund means the total funds held under an applicable Trust Agreement. The term Trust Fund when used within a Trust Agreement shall mean only the funds held under that Trust Agreement.

Trustee means the party or parties named in the applicable Trust Agreement.

Unallocated Reserve means the portion of the Trust Fund that consists of the proceeds of an Exempt Loan, the shares of Qualifying Employer Securities that were acquired with the proceeds of an Exempt Loan and have not yet been allocated to Participant Accounts, the dividends and other investment earnings on the assets held in the Unallocated Reserve, and the proceeds from any sale of shares of qualifying Employer Securities held in the Unallocated Reserve.

Valuation Date means the date on which the value of the assets of the Investment Fund is determined. The value of each Account that is maintained under this Plan shall be determined on the Valuation Date. In each Plan Year, the Valuation Date shall be the last day of the Plan Year. At the discretion of the Plan Administrator, Trustee, or Insurer (whichever applies) and in a nondiscriminatory manner, assets of the Investment Fund may be valued more frequently. These dates shall also be Valuation Dates.

Vested Account means the vested part of a Participant's Account. The Participant's Vested Account is determined as follows.

If the Participant's Vesting Percentage for all Employer Contributions is 100%, his Vested Account equals his Account.

If the Participant's Vesting Percentage for all Employer Contributions is not 100%, his Vested Account equals the sum of (a) and (b) below:

 

If the Participant has received a distribution of or withdrawn any part of his Account resulting from Employer Contributions, other than the vested Employer Contributions included in (a) above and his Vesting Percentage with respect to such Contributions is less than 100%, the amount determined under this subparagraph (b) shall be equal to P(AB + D) - D as defined below:

 

P     The Participant's Vesting Percentage.

AB     The balance of the Participant's Account in excess of the amount in (a) above.

D     The amount of the distribution or withdrawal resulting from Employer Contributions, other than the vested Employer

Contributions included in (a) above.

Vesting Break in Service means a Vesting Computation Period in which an Employee is credited with 500 or fewer Hours of Service. An Employee incurs a Vesting Break in Service on the last day of a Vesting Computation Period in which he has a Vesting Break in Service.

Vesting Computation Period means a consecutive 12-month period ending on the last day of each Plan Year, including corresponding consecutive 12-month periods before the effective date of the Plan.

Vesting Percentage means the percentage used to determine the nonforfeitable portion of a Participant's Account attributable to Employer Contributions that were not 100% vested when made.

A Participant's Vesting Percentage is shown in the following schedule opposite the number of whole years of his Vesting Service.

The Vesting Percentage for a Participant who was an employee of WB Capital Management Inc. as of January 1, 2010 shall be 100%.

The Vesting Percentage for a Participant who is an Employee on or after the date he reaches Normal Retirement Age shall be 100%. The Vesting Percentage for a Participant who is an Employee on the date he dies shall be 100%. The Vesting Percentage for a Participant who dies while performing Qualified Military Service shall be 100%. The Vesting Percentage for a Participant who is an Employee on the date he becomes disabled shall be 100%. The Vesting Percentage for a Participant who becomes disabled while performing Qualified Military Service shall be 100%. For purposes of this paragraph, disabled means the disability is subsequently determined to meet the definition of Totally and Permanently Disabled.

The schedule(s) used to determine a Participant’s Vesting Percentage shall provide a percentage of nonforfeitable rights which is not less than the percentage that would have been provided under one of the options under Code Section 411(a)(2).

If the schedule used to determine a Participant's Vesting Percentage is changed, the new schedule shall not apply to a Participant unless he is credited with an Hour of Service on or after the date of the change and the Participant's nonforfeitable percentage on the day before the date of the change is not reduced under this Plan. The provisions of the AMENDMENTS SECTION of Article X regarding changes in the computation of the Vesting Percentage shall apply.

 

Vesting Service means one year of service for each Vesting Computation Period in which an Employee is credited with at least 1,000 Hours of Service.

However, Vesting Service is modified as follows:

 

Period of Military Duty included:

A Period of Military Duty shall be included as service with the Employer to the extent it has not already been credited. For purposes of crediting Hours of Service during the Period of Military Duty, an Hour of Service shall be credited (without regard to the 501 Hour of Service limitation) for each hour an Employee would normally have been scheduled to work for the Employer during such period.

Controlled Group service included:

An Employee's service with a member firm of a Controlled Group while both that firm and the Employer were members of the Controlled Group shall be included as service with the Employer.

For purposes of Contributions other than Discretionary Contributions, an Employee shall first become an Active Participant (begin active participation in the Plan) on the earliest Quarterly Date on which he is an Eligible Employee and has met both of the eligibility requirements set forth below. This date is his Entry Date for purposes of such Contributions.

A Participant’s earliest Entry Date shall be used to determine if he is an Active Participant for purposes of any minimum contribution or allocation under the MODIFICATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article XI.

 

If the Plan’s eligibility requirements are changed, an Employee who was an Active Participant immediately prior to the effective date of the change is deemed to satisfy the new requirements and his Entry Date shall not change.

Each Employee who was an Active Participant on the day before the effective date of this restatement (as determined in the INTRODUCTION) shall continue to be an Active Participant if he is still an Eligible Employee on such restatement effective date and his Entry Date shall not change.

If a person has been an Eligible Employee who has met all of the eligibility requirements for purposes of specified Contributions above, but is not an Eligible Employee on the date that would have been his Entry Date for purposes of such Contributions, he shall become an Active Participant for purposes of such Contributions on the date he again becomes an Eligible Employee. This date is his Entry Date for such Contributions.

In the event an Employee who is not an Eligible Employee becomes an Eligible Employee, he shall become an Active Participant for purposes of specified Contributions immediately if he has satisfied the eligibility requirements for such Contributions and would have otherwise previously become an Active Participant had he met the definition of Eligible Employee. This date is his Entry Date for such Contributions.

Upon again becoming an Active Participant, he shall cease to be an Inactive Participant.

There shall be no duplication of benefits for a Participant because of more than one period as an Active Participant.

 

An Active Participant shall become an Inactive Participant on the earlier of the following:

 

An Employee or former Employee who was an Inactive Participant on the day before the effective date of this restatement (as determined in the INTRODUCTION) shall continue to be an Inactive Participant on such restatement effective date. Eligibility for any benefits payable to the Participant or on his behalf and the amount of the benefits shall be determined according to the provisions of the prior document, unless otherwise stated in this document or any subsequent documents.

 

A Participant shall cease to be a Participant on the date he is no longer an Eligible Employee and his Account is zero.

Employer Contributions shall be made without regard to Net Profits. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Plan shall continue to be designed to qualify as a profit sharing plan for purposes of Code Sections 401(a), 402, 412, and 417. Such Contributions shall be equal to the Employer Contributions as described below:

An Elective Deferral Agreement to start or modify Elective Deferral Contributions shall be effective as soon as administratively feasible on or after the Participant’s Entry Date (Reentry Date, if applicable) or any following Quarterly Date. An Elective Deferral Agreement must be entered into on or before the date it is effective.

An Elective Deferral Agreement to stop Elective Deferral Contributions may be entered into on any date. Such Elective Deferral Agreement shall be effective as soon as administratively feasible following the date on which the Elective Deferral Agreement is entered into.

Elective Deferral Contributions made pursuant to an Elective Deferral Agreement or the terms of an automatic contribution arrangement shall not be made earlier than the date (i) the Participant performs the services that relate to such Elective Deferral Contributions or (ii) the Compensation used to calculate such Elective Deferral Contributions would be payable to the Participant if not contributed to the Plan.

A Participant who is age 50 or older by the end of the taxable year shall be eligible to make Catch-up Contributions.

A Participant may elect to designate all or any portion of his future Elective Deferral Contributions as Roth Elective Deferral Contributions.

The Plan provides for an automatic election to have Elective Deferral Contributions made. The automatic Elective Deferral Contribution shall be Pre-tax Elective Deferral Contributions and shall be 3% of Compensation. The Participant may affirmatively elect a different percentage or elect not to make Elective Deferral Contributions, and may elect to designate all or any portion of his Elective Deferral Contributions as Roth Elective Deferral Contributions.

Such automatic election shall apply when a Participant first becomes eligible to make Elective Deferral Contributions (or again becomes eligible after a period during which he was not an Active Participant). The Participant shall be provided a notice that explains the automatic election and his right to elect a different rate of Elective Deferral Contributions or to elect not to make Elective Deferral Contributions, and his right to designate a portion of his Elective Deferral Contributions as Roth Elective Deferral Contributions. The notice shall include the procedure for exercising those rights and the timing for implementing any such elections. The Participant shall be given a reasonable period thereafter to elect a different rate of Elective Deferral Contributions or to elect not to make Elective Deferral Contributions, and to designate a portion of his Elective Deferral Contributions as Roth Elective Deferral Contributions.

Each Active Participant affected by the automatic election shall be provided an annual notice that explains the automatic election and his right to elect a different rate of Elective Deferral Contributions or to elect not to make Elective Deferral Contributions, and his right to designate all or any portion of his Elective Deferral Contributions as Roth Elective Deferral Contributions. The notice shall include the procedure for exercising those rights and the timing for implementing any such elections.

No Participant shall be permitted to have Elective Deferral Contributions, as defined in the EXCESS AMOUNTS SECTION of this article, made under this Plan, or any other plan, contract, or arrangement maintained by the Employer, during any calendar year, in excess of the dollar limitation contained in Code Section 402(g) in effect for the Participant’s taxable year beginning in such calendar year. The dollar limitation in the preceding sentence shall be increased by the dollar limit on Catch-up Contributions under Code Section 414(v)(2)(B)(i) for the taxable year for any Participant who will be age 50 or older by the end of the taxable year.

The dollar limitation contained in Code Section 402(g) was $15,000 for taxable years beginning in 2006. After 2006, the $15,000 limit is adjusted by the Secretary of the Treasury for cost-of-living increases under Code Section 402(g)(4). Any such adjustments will be in multiples of $500.

Catch-up Contributions for a Participant for a taxable year may not exceed the dollar limit on Catch-up Contributions under Code Section 414(v)(2)(B)(i) for the taxable year. The dollar limit on Catch-up Contributions under Code Section 414(v)(2)(B)(i) was $5,000 for taxable years beginning in 2006. After 2006, the $5,000 limit is adjusted by the Secretary of the Treasury for cost-of-living increases under Code Section 414(v)(2)(C). Any such adjustments will be in multiples of $500.

Elective Deferral Contributions are 100% vested and nonforfeitable.

Matching Contributions are calculated based on Elective Deferral Contributions and Compensation for the payroll period. Matching Contributions are made for all persons who were Active Participants at any time during that payroll period.

Elective Deferral Contributions that are Catch-up Contributions shall be matched.

Matching Contributions are Qualified Matching Contributions and are 100% vested when made.

Qualified Nonelective Contributions are 100% vested when made.

 

Discretionary Contributions will be made for each Plan Year for which a payment is due on an Exempt Loan, if any. The amount of the Discretionary Contribution for the Plan Year will be determined at the sole discretion of the Primary Employer, but will not be less than the minimum amount sufficient to enable the Trustee to make the payment due on the Exempt Loan to the extent that such payment cannot be satisfied from cash dividends paid on shares of Qualifying Employer Securities held in the ESOP Portion of the Plan (if the Primary Employer directs that such dividends be applied to the Exempt Loan), or cash dividends paid on shares of Qualifying Employer Securities held in the Unallocated Reserve or other investment earnings of the Unallocated Reserve.

Discretionary Contributions are subject to the Vesting Percentage.

Employer Contributions are allocated according to the provisions of the ALLOCATION SECTION of this article.

The Employer may make all or a part of an annual Employer Contribution before the end of the Plan Year. An annual Employer Contribution is an Employer Contribution that is either (i) allocated as of the last day of the Plan Year or (ii) is based on Annual Compensation. Such Contributions that are made for or allocated to each person who was an Active Participant at any time during the Plan Year shall be allocated when made in a manner that approximates the allocation that would otherwise have been made as of the last day of the Plan Year. Succeeding allocations shall take into account amounts previously allocated for the Plan Year. The percentage of the Employer Contribution allocated to the Participant for the Plan Year shall be the same percentage that would have been allocated to him if the entire allocation had been made as of the last day of the Plan Year. Excess allocations shall be forfeited and reallocated as necessary to provide the percentage applicable to each Participant. Any other annual Employer Contributions made before the end of the Plan Year shall be held unallocated until the last day of the Plan Year. Then, as of the last day of the Plan Year, the advance Contributions shall be allocated according to the provisions of the ALLOCATION SECTION of this article.

A portion of the Plan assets resulting from Employer Contributions (but not more than the original amount of those Contributions) may be returned if the Employer Contributions are made because of a mistake of fact or are more than the amount deductible under Code Section 404 (excluding any amount which is not deductible because the Plan is disqualified). The amount involved must be returned to the Employer within one year after the date the Employer Contributions are made by mistake of fact or the date the deduction is disallowed, whichever applies. Except as provided under this paragraph and in Article VIII, the assets of the Plan shall never be used for the benefit of the Employer and are held for the exclusive purpose of providing benefits to Participants and their Beneficiaries and for defraying reasonable expenses of administering the Plan.

A Rollover Contribution may be made by an Eligible Employee or an Inactive Participant if the following conditions are met:

Direct Rollovers. The Plan will accept a direct rollover of an Eligible Rollover Distribution from:

Participant Rollover Contributions from Other Plans. The Plan will accept a Participant contribution of an Eligible Rollover Distribution from:

Participant Rollover Contributions from IRAs. The Plan will accept a Participant Rollover Contribution of the portion of a distribution from an individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity described in Code Section 408(a) or (b) that is eligible to be rolled over and would otherwise be includible in the Participant’s gross income.

 

A Rollover Contribution shall be allowed in cash only and must be made according to procedures set up by the Plan Administrator.

If the Eligible Employee is not an Active Participant when the Rollover Contribution is made, he shall be deemed to be an Active Participant only for the purpose of investment and distribution of the Rollover Contribution. Employer Contributions shall not be made for or allocated to the Eligible Employee until the time he meets all of the requirements to become an Active Participant.

Rollover Contributions made by an Eligible Employee or Inactive Participant shall be credited to his Account. The part of the Participant's Account resulting from Rollover Contributions is 100% vested and nonforfeitable at all times. Separate accounting records shall be maintained for those parts of his Rollover Contributions consisting of (i) voluntary contributions which were deducted from the Participant's gross income for Federal income tax purposes; (ii) after-tax employee contributions, including the portion that would not have been includible in the Participant’s gross income if the contributions were not rolled over into this Plan; and (iii) any portion of a designated Roth account, including the portion that would not have been includible in the Participant’s gross income if the contributions were not rolled over into this Plan.

The Nonvested Account of a Participant shall be forfeited as of the earlier of the following:

However, any portion of a Participant’s Nonvested Account attributable to Qualifying Employer Securities shall become a Forfeiture only after the portion of a Participant’s account balance not attributable to Qualifying Employer Securities is forfeited. If more than one class of Qualifying Employer Securities exists, any forfeiture shall be made on a pro rata basis from the Participant’s Account resulting from each class of Qualifying Employer Securities in the same proportion that such Contributions were made.

All or a portion of a Participant’s Nonvested Account shall be forfeited before such earlier date if, after he has a Severance from Employment, he receives, or is deemed to receive, a distribution of his entire Vested Account or a distribution of his Vested Account derived from Employer Contributions under the RETIREMENT BENEFITS SECTION of Article V, the VESTED BENEFITS SECTION of Article V, or the SMALL AMOUNTS SECTION of Article X. The forfeiture shall occur as of the date the Participant receives, or is deemed to receive, the distribution. If a Participant receives, or is deemed to receive, his entire Vested Account, his entire Nonvested Account shall be forfeited. If a Participant receives a distribution of his Vested Account from Employer Contributions, but less than his entire Vested Account, the amount to be forfeited shall be determined by multiplying his Nonvested Account from such Contributions by a fraction. The numerator of the fraction is the amount of the distribution derived from Employer Contributions and the denominator of the fraction is his entire Vested Account derived from such Contributions on the date of the distribution.

A Forfeiture shall also occur as provided in the EXCESS AMOUNTS SECTION of this article.

Forfeitures shall be determined at least once during each Plan Year. Forfeitures may first be used to pay administrative expenses. Forfeitures of Matching Contributions that relate to excess amounts as provided in the EXCESS AMOUNTS SECTION of this article, that have not been used to pay administrative expenses, shall be applied to reduce Employer Contributions made after the Forfeitures are determined. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, Forfeitures shall not be used to reduce Elective Deferral Contributions, Qualified Matching Contributions, and Qualified Nonelective Contributions. Any other Forfeitures that have not been used to pay administrative expenses shall be applied to reduce the Employer Contributions (other than Elective Deferral Contributions, Qualified Matching Contributions, and Qualified Nonelective Contributions) made after the Forfeitures are determined. Upon their application to reduce Employer Contributions, Forfeitures shall be deemed to be Employer Contributions.

If a Participant again becomes an Eligible Employee after receiving a distribution which caused all of his Nonvested Account to be forfeited, he shall have the right to repay to the Plan the entire amount of the distribution he received (excluding the portion of the distribution resulting from Rollover Contributions). The repayment must be made in a single sum (repayment in installments is not permitted) before the earlier of the date five years after the date he again becomes an Eligible Employee or the end of the first period of five consecutive Vesting Break in Service periods which begin after the date of the distribution of his entire Vested Account.

If the Participant makes the repayment above, the Plan Administrator shall restore to his Account an amount equal to his Nonvested Account that was forfeited on the date of distribution, unadjusted for any investment gains or losses. If no amount is to be repaid because the Participant was deemed to have received a distribution or only received a distribution of Rollover Contributions, and he again performs an Hour of Service as an Eligible Employee within the repayment period, the Plan Administrator shall restore the Participant’s Account as if he had made a required repayment on the date he performed such Hour of Service. Restoration of the Participant’s Account shall include restoration of all Code Section 411(d)(6) protected benefits with respect to the restored Account, according to applicable Treasury regulations. Provided, however, the Plan Administrator shall not restore the Nonvested Account if (i) a Forfeiture Date has occurred after the date of the distribution and on or before the date of repayment and (ii) that Forfeiture Date would result in a complete forfeiture of the amount the Plan Administrator would otherwise restore.

The Plan Administrator shall restore the Participant’s Account by the close of the Plan Year following the Plan Year in which repayment is made. The permissible sources for restoration of the Participant’s Account are Forfeitures or special Employer Contributions. Such special Employer Contributions shall be made without regard to profits. The repaid and restored amounts are not included in the Participant’s Annual Additions, as defined in the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of this article.

A person meets the allocation requirements of this section if he is an Active Participant on the last day of the Plan Year and has at least 1,000 Hours of Service during the latest Accrual Computation Period ending on or before that date.

Elective Deferral Contributions shall be allocated to the Participants for whom such Contributions are made under the EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of this article. Such Contributions shall be allocated when made and credited to the Participant’s Account.

Matching Contributions shall be allocated to the persons for whom such Contributions are made under the EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of this article. Such Contributions shall be allocated when made and credited to the person’s Account.

Qualified Nonelective Contributions shall be allocated as of the last day of the Plan Year to each person who meets the allocation requirements of this section. Such Qualified Nonelective Contributions shall be allocated only to Nonhighly Compensated Employees. The amount allocated to such person for the Plan Year shall be equal to such Qualified Nonelective Contributions multiplied by the ratio of such person’s Annual Compensation for the Plan Year to the total Annual Compensation of all such persons. This amount shall be credited to the person’s Account.

Discretionary Contributions shall be allocated as of the last day of the Plan Year, using Annual Compensation for the Plan Year. In years in which the Plan is a Top-heavy Plan, as defined in the DEFINITIONS SECTION of Article XI, and the minimum contribution under the MODIFICATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article XI is not being provided by other contributions to this Plan or another plan of the Employer, the allocation shall be made to each person meeting the allocation requirements of this section and each person entitled to a minimum contribution under the MODIFICATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article XI. In all other years, the allocation shall be made to each person meeting the allocation requirements of this section. The amount allocated shall be equal to the Discretionary Contributions multiplied by the ratio of such person’s Annual Compensation to the total Annual Compensation for all such persons. The allocation for any person who does not meet the allocation requirements of this section shall be limited to the amount necessary to fund the minimum contribution.

In years in which the Plan is a Top-heavy Plan, the minimum contribution under the MODIFICATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article XI is not being provided by other contributions to this Plan or another plan of the Employer, and the allocation described above (or any subsequent allocation described below) would provide an allocation for any person less than the minimum contribution required for such person in the MODIFICATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of Article XI, such minimum contribution shall first be allocated to all such persons. Then any amount remaining shall be allocated to the remaining persons sharing in the allocation based on Annual Compensation as described above, as if they were the only persons sharing in the allocation for the Plan Year.

This amount shall be credited to the person’s Account.

In the event payment is due on an Exempt Loan, the Discretionary Contribution for the Plan Year (if any), together with the cash dividends paid on Qualifying Employer Securities held in the Participants’ Accounts (if the Primary Employer directs that such dividends be applied to the Exempt Loan), cash dividends paid on Qualifying Employer Securities held in the Unallocated Reserve and other investment earnings of the Unallocated Reserve (if any), shall be applied to make the payment due on any Exempt Loan for the Plan Year. The Qualifying Employer Securities released from the Unallocated Reserve as a result of that payment shall be allocated as of the last day of the Plan Year as follows:

STEP ONE: This step one shall apply only if the cash dividends paid on Qualifying Employer Securities held in the Participants’ Accounts are applied to the Exempt Loan.

The allocation in this step one shall be made to each person who received a cash dividend on Qualifying Employer Securities held in his Account that was applied to the Exempt Loan.

The number of shares of Qualifying Employer Securities allocated under this step one shall be the number of shares with a value equal to or greater than the total cash dividends paid on Qualifying Employer Securities held in the Participants’ Accounts and applied to the Exempt Loan. The number of shares of Qualifying Employer Securities allocated to each such person shall be determined by multiplying the number of shares of Qualifying Employer Securities to be allocated under this step one by a fraction, the numerator of which is the cash dividends paid on Qualifying Employer Securities held in the Account of such person and applied to the Exempt Loan, and the denominator of which is the total cash dividends paid on Qualifying Employer Securities held in the Accounts of all such persons and applied to the Exempt Loan.

STEP TWO: The number of shares of Qualifying Employer Securities allocated under this step two shall be the shares remaining after the allocation in step one.

The number of shares of Qualifying Employer Securities allocated to each such person shall be determined by multiplying the number of shares of Qualifying Employer Securities released from the Unallocated Reserve (and not allocated under step one) by a fraction, the numerator of which is the Annual Compensation of such person for the Plan Year, and the denominator of which is the aggregate Annual Compensation of all such persons for the Plan Year. However, if the aggregate amount of Qualifying Employer Securities that would be allocated under this paragraph to Highly Compensated Employees exceeds one-third of the total Qualifying Employer Securities allocated, then the amount of Qualifying Employer Securities in excess of one-third shall be reallocated to the Nonhighly Compensated Employees in proportion to each Nonhighly Compensated Employee’s Annual Compensation to the total Annual Compensation of all such Nonhighly Compensated Employees.

If the Discretionary Contributions exceed the amount needed to make the payment for the Exempt Loan for the Plan Year, or if there is no Exempt Loan for the Plan Year in which the Discretionary Contribution is made, the Discretionary Contribution shall be allocated in the same manner as STEP TWO above.

If Leased Employees are Eligible Employees, in determining the amount of Employer Contributions allocated to a person who is a Leased Employee, contributions provided by the leasing organization that are attributable to services such Leased Employee performs for the Employer shall be treated as provided by the Employer. Those contributions shall not be duplicated under this Plan.

Notwithstanding any contrary provision of the Plan, Qualifying Employer Securities will not be allocated under the following circumstances.

The non-allocation period is the period for this purpose beginning on the date of the sale of the Qualifying Employer Securities to the Plan and ending on the later of the date which is ten (10) years after the date of sale or the date of the allocation attributable to the final payment of an Exempt Loan incurred in connection with such sale to the Plan.

Further, notwithstanding any contrary provision of the Plan, Qualifying Employer Securities that have been acquired by the Plan in a sale to which Code Section 1042 applies shall not be allocated, during or after the non-allocation period, directly or indirectly under the Plan (or any qualified plan of any Employer) to the Account of any individual who owns (after application of the aggregation rules of Code Section 318(a) applied without regard to the employee trust exception in Code Section 318(a)(2)(B)(i)) more than twenty five percent (25%) of any class of outstanding stock of any Employer, or the total value of any class of outstanding stock of the Employer.

The foregoing preventive measures shall be done in a manner which is uniform and nondiscriminatory. In the event the foregoing measures would be equally effective if taken with respect to two or more Participants then, except as otherwise implemented by the Employer, the measures shall be taken pro-rata as to such two or more Participants.

Contributions to the Plan shall be limited in accordance with Code Section 415 and the regulations thereunder. The limitations of this section shall apply to Limitation Years beginning on or after July 1, 2007, except as otherwise provided herein.

Annual Additions means the sum of the following amounts credited to a Participant’s account for the Limitation Year:

Annual Additions to a defined contribution plan, as defined in section 1.415(c)-1(a)(2)(i) of the regulations, shall also include the following:

 

Compensation means wages, within the meaning of Code Section 3401(a), and all other payments of compensation to an employee by the Employer (in the course of the Employer’s trade or business) for which the Employer is required to furnish the employee a written statement under Code Sections 6041(d), 6051(a)(3), and 6052. Compensation shall be determined without regard to any rules under Code Section 3401(a) that limit the remuneration included in wages based on the nature or location of the employment or the services performed (such as the exception for agricultural labor in Code Section 3401(a)(2)). The type of compensation that is reported in the Wages, Tips and Other Compensation box on Form W-2 satisfies this definition.

For any Self-employed Individual, Compensation shall mean Earned Income.

Except as provided herein, Compensation for a Limitation Year is the Compensation actually paid or made available (or if earlier, includible in gross income) during such Limitation Year.

Compensation for a Limitation Year shall also include Compensation paid by the later of 2 1/2 months after an employee’s Severance from Employment with the Employer maintaining the plan or the end of the Limitation Year that includes the date of the employee’s Severance from Employment with the Employer maintaining the plan, if the payment is regular Compensation for services during the employee’s regular working hours, or Compensation for services outside the employee’s regular working hours (such as overtime or shift differential), commissions, bonuses, or other similar payments, and, absent a Severance from Employment, the payments would have been paid to the employee while the employee continued in employment with the Employer.

Any payments not described above shall not be considered Compensation if paid after Severance from Employment, even if they are paid by the later of 2 1/2 months after the date of Severance from Employment or the end of the Limitation Year that includes the date of Severance from Employment.

Back pay, within the meaning of section 1.415(c)-2(g)(8) of the regulations, shall be treated as Compensation for the Limitation Year to which the back pay relates to the extent the back pay represents wages and compensation that would otherwise be included in this definition.

Compensation paid or made available during such Limitation Year shall include amounts that would otherwise be included in Compensation but for an election under Code Section 125(a), 132(f)(4), 402(e)(3), 402(h)(1)(B), 402(k), or 457(b).

Compensation shall not include amounts paid as Compensation to a nonresident alien, as defined in Code Section 7701(b)(1)(B), who is not a Participant in the Plan to the extent the Compensation is excludible from gross income and is not effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States.

Defined Contribution Dollar Limitation means $40,000, automatically adjusted under Code Section 415(d), effective January 1 of each year, as published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin. The new limitation shall apply to Limitation Years ending with or within the calendar year of the date of the adjustment, but a Participant’s Annual Additions for a Limitation Year cannot exceed the currently applicable dollar limitation (as in effect before the January 1 adjustment) prior to January 1. However, after a January 1 adjustment is made, Annual Additions for the entire Limitation Year are permitted to reflect the dollar limitation as adjusted on January 1.

Employer means the employer that adopts this Plan, and all members of a controlled group of corporations (as defined in Code Section 414(b) as modified by Code Section 415(h)), all commonly controlled trades or businesses (as defined in Code Section 414(c), as modified, except in the case of a brother-sister group of trades or businesses under common control, by Code Section 415(h)), or affiliated service groups (as defined in Code Section 414(m)) of which the adopting employer is a part, and any other entity required to be aggregated with the employer pursuant to Code Section 414(o).

Limitation Year means the consecutive 12-month period ending on the last day of each Plan Year, including corresponding consecutive 12-month periods before the original effective date of the Plan. All qualified plans maintained by the Employer must use the same Limitation Year. If the Limitation Year is other than the calendar year, execution of this Plan (or any amendment to this Plan changing the Limitation Year) constitutes the Employer’s adoption of a written resolution electing the Limitation Year. If the Limitation Year is amended to a different consecutive 12-month period, the new Limitation Year must begin on a date within the Limitation Year in which the amendment is made.

Maximum Annual Addition means, except for catch-up contributions described in Code Section 414(v), the Annual Addition that may be contributed or allocated to a Participant’s Account under the Plan for any Limitation Year. This amount shall not exceed the lesser of:

A Participant’s Compensation for a Limitation Year shall not include Compensation in excess of the limitation under Code Section 401(a)(17) that is in effect for the calendar year in which the Limitation Year begins.

The compensation limitation referred to in (2) shall not apply to an individual medical benefit account (as defined in Code Section 415(l); or a post-retirement medical benefits account for a key employee (as defined in Code Section 419A(d)(1)).

If a short Limitation Year is created because of an amendment changing the Limitation Year to a different consecutive 12-month period, the Maximum Annual Addition will not exceed the Defined Contribution Dollar Limitation multiplied by the following fraction:

If the Plan is terminated as of a date other than the last day of the Limitation Year, the Plan is treated as if the Plan was amended to change the Limitation Year and create a short Limitation Year ending on the date the Plan is terminated.

If a short Limitation Year is created, the limitation under Code Section 401(a)(17) shall be prorated in the same manner as the Defined Contribution Dollar Limitation.

Predecessor Employer means, with respect to a Participant, a former employer if the Employer maintains a plan that provides a benefit which the Participant accrued while performing services for the former employer. Predecessor Employer also means, with respect to a Participant, a former entity that antedates the Employer if, under the facts and circumstances, the Employer constitutes a continuation of all or a portion of the trade or business of the former entity.

Severance from Employment means an employee has ceased to be an employee of the Employer maintaining the plan. An employee does not have a Severance from Employment if, in connection with a change of employment, the employee’s new employer maintains the plan with respect to the employee.

ACP means, for a specified group of Participants (either Highly Compensated Employees or Nonhighly Compensated Employees) for a Plan Year, the average (expressed as a percentage) of the Contribution Percentages of the Eligible Participants in the group.

ADP means, for a specified group of Participants (either Highly Compensated Employees or Nonhighly Compensated Employees) for a Plan Year, the average (expressed as a percentage) of the Deferral Percentages of the Eligible Participants in the group.

Contribution Percentage means the ratio (expressed as a percentage) of the Eligible Participant’s Contribution Percentage Amounts to the Eligible Participant’s Compensation (excluding Differential Wage Payments) for the Plan Year (whether or not the Eligible Participant was an Eligible Participant for the entire Plan Year). In modification of the foregoing, Compensation shall be determined excluding Compensation for the portion of the Plan Year in which an Employee was not an Eligible Participant. For an Eligible Participant for whom such Contribution Percentage Amounts for the Plan Year are zero, the percentage is zero.

Contribution Percentage Amounts means the sum of the Participant Contributions and Matching Contributions (that are not Qualified Matching Contributions taken into account for purposes of the ADP Test) made under the plan on behalf of the Eligible Participant for the plan year. Contribution Percentage Amounts shall not include Participant Contributions withheld from Differential Wage Payments and Matching Contributions based on Elective Deferral Contributions and Participant Contributions withheld from such Differential Wage Payments. Matching Contributions cannot be taken into account for a plan year for a Nonhighly Compensated Employee to the extent they are disproportionate matching contributions as defined in section 1.401(m)-2(a)(5)(ii) of the regulations. Such Contribution Percentage Amounts shall not include Matching Contributions that are forfeited either to correct Excess Aggregate Contributions or because the contributions to which they relate are Excess Elective Deferrals, Excess Contributions, or Excess Aggregate Contributions. Under such rules as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe, in determining the Contribution Percentage the Employer may elect to include Qualified Nonelective Contributions under this Plan that were not used in computing the Deferral Percentage. Qualified Nonelective Contributions cannot be taken into account for a plan year for a Nonhighly Compensated Employee to the extent they are disproportionate contributions as defined in section 1.401(m)-2(a)(6)(v) of the regulations. The Employer may also elect to use Elective Deferral Contributions in computing the Contribution Percentage so long as the ADP Test is met before the Elective Deferral Contributions are used in the ACP Test and continues to be met following the exclusion of those Elective Deferral Contributions that are used to meet the ACP Test.

Deferral Percentage means the ratio (expressed as a percentage) of Elective Deferral Contributions (other than Catch-up Contributions and Elective Deferral Contributions withheld from Differential Wage Payments) under this Plan on behalf of the Eligible Participant for the Plan Year to the Eligible Participant’s Compensation (excluding Differential Wage Payments) for the Plan Year (whether or not the Eligible Participant was an Eligible Participant for the entire Plan Year). In modification of the foregoing, Compensation shall be determined excluding Compensation for the portion of the Plan Year in which an Employee was not an Eligible Participant. The Elective Deferral Contributions used to determine the Deferral Percentage shall include Excess Elective Deferrals (other than Excess Elective Deferrals of Nonhighly Compensated Employees that arise solely from Elective Deferral Contributions made under this Plan or any other plans of the Employer or a Controlled Group member), but shall exclude Elective Deferral Contributions that are used in computing the Contribution Percentage (provided the ADP Test is satisfied both with and without exclusion of these Elective Deferral Contributions). Under such rules as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe, the Employer may elect to include Qualified Nonelective Contributions and Qualified Matching Contributions under this Plan in computing the Deferral Percentage. Qualified Matching Contributions cannot be taken into account for a Plan Year for a Nonhighly Compensated Employee to the extent they are disproportionate matching contributions as defined in section 1.401(m)-2(a)(5)(ii) of the regulations. Qualified Nonelective Contributions cannot be taken into account for a Plan Year for a Nonhighly Compensated Employee to the extent they are disproportionate contributions as defined in section 1.401(k)-2(a)(6)(iv) of the regulations. For an Eligible Participant for whom such contributions on his behalf for the Plan Year are zero, the percentage is zero.

Elective Deferral Contributions means any employer contributions made to a plan at the election of a participant in lieu of cash compensation. With respect to any taxable year, a participant’s Elective Deferral Contributions are the sum of all employer contributions made on behalf of such participant pursuant to an election to defer under any qualified cash or deferred arrangement (CODA) described in Code Section 401(k), any salary reduction simplified employee pension plan described in Code Section 408(k)(6), any SIMPLE IRA plan described in Code Section 408(p), any plan described under Code Section 501(c)(18), and any employer contributions made on behalf of a participant for the purchase of an annuity contract under Code Section 403(b) pursuant to a salary reduction agreement. Elective Deferral Contributions include Pre-tax Elective Deferral Contributions and Roth Elective Deferral Contributions. Elective Deferral Contributions shall not include any deferrals properly distributed as excess annual additions.

Eligible Participant means, for purposes of determining the Deferral Percentage, any Employee who is otherwise entitled to make Elective Deferral Contributions under the terms of the plan for the plan year. Eligible Participant means, for purposes of determining the Contribution Percentage, any Employee who is eligible (i) to make a Participant Contribution or an Elective Deferral Contribution (if the Employer takes such contributions into account in the calculation of the Contribution Percentage), or (ii) to receive a Matching Contribution (including forfeitures) or a Qualified Matching Contribution. If a Participant Contribution is required as a condition of participation in the plan, any Employee who would be a participant in the plan if such Employee made such a contribution shall be treated as an Eligible Participant on behalf of whom no Participant Contributions are made.

Excess Aggregate Contributions means, with respect to any Plan Year, the excess of:

Excess Contributions means, with respect to any Plan Year, the excess of:

Excess Elective Deferrals means those Elective Deferral Contributions of a Participant that either (i) are made during the Participant’s taxable year and exceed the dollar limitation under Code Section 402(g) or (ii) are made during a calendar year and exceed the dollar limitation under Code Section 402(g) for the Participant’s taxable year beginning in such calendar year, counting only Elective Deferral Contributions made under this Plan and any other plan, contract, or arrangement maintained by the Employer. The dollar limitation shall be increased by the dollar limit on Catch-up Contributions under Code Section 414(v), if applicable.

Excess Elective Deferrals shall be treated as Annual Additions, as defined in the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of this article, under the Plan, unless such amounts are distributed no later than the first April 15 following the close of the Participant’s taxable year.

Matching Contributions means employer contributions made to this or any other defined contribution plan, or to a contract described in Code Section 403(b), on behalf of a participant on account of a Participant Contribution made by such participant, or on account of a participant’s Elective Deferral Contributions, under a plan maintained by the Employer or a Controlled Group member.

Participant Contributions means contributions (other than Roth Elective Deferral Contributions) made to the plan by or on behalf of a participant that are included in the participant’s gross income in the year in which made and that are maintained under a separate account to which the earnings and losses are allocated.

Pre-tax Elective Deferral Contributions means a participant’s Elective Deferral Contributions that are not includible in the participant’s gross income at the time deferred.

Qualified Matching Contributions means Matching Contributions that are nonforfeitable when made to the plan and that are distributable only in accordance with the distribution provisions applicable to Elective Deferral Contributions, to the extent Qualified Matching Contributions can be distributed under such distribution provision.

Qualified Nonelective Contributions means any employer contributions (other than Matching Contributions) that an Employee may not elect to have paid to him in cash instead of being contributed to the plan and that are nonforfeitable when made to the plan and that are distributable only in accordance with the distribution provisions applicable to Elective Deferral Contributions, to the extent Qualified Nonelective Contributions can be distributed under such distribution provision.

Roth Elective Deferral Contributions means a participant’s Elective Deferral Contributions that are not excludible from the participant’s gross income at the time deferred and have been irrevocably designated as Roth Elective Deferral Contributions by the participant in his elective deferral agreement. Whether an Elective Deferral Contribution is not excludible from a participant’s gross income will be determined in accordance with section 1.401(k)-1(f)(2) of the regulations. In the case of a self-employed individual, an Elective Deferral Contribution is not excludible from gross income only if the individual does not claim a deduction for such amount.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan, Elective Deferral Contributions in an amount equal to the Excess Elective Deferrals assigned to this Plan, plus any income and minus any loss allocable thereto, shall be distributed no later than April 15 to any Participant to whose Account Excess Elective Deferrals were assigned for the preceding year and who claims Excess Elective Deferrals for such taxable year or calendar year.

Distribution of Excess Elective Deferral Contributions shall be made on a pro rata basis from the Participant’s Account resulting from Pre-tax Elective Deferral Contributions and Roth Elective Deferral Contributions in the same proportion that such Contributions were made for the applicable year.

The Excess Elective Deferrals shall be adjusted for any income or loss. The income or loss allocable to such Excess Elective Deferrals shall be equal to the income or loss allocable to the Participant’s Elective Deferral Contributions for the taxable year in which the excess occurred multiplied by a fraction. The numerator of the fraction is the Excess Elective Deferrals. The denominator of the fraction is the closing balance without regard to any income or loss occurring during such taxable year (as of the end of such taxable year) of the Participant’s Account resulting from Elective Deferral Contributions.

For purposes of determining income or loss on Excess Elective Deferrals, no adjustment shall be made for income or loss for the gap period.

Any Matching Contributions that were based on the Elective Deferral Contributions distributed as Excess Elective Deferrals, plus any income and minus any loss allocable thereto, shall be forfeited.

 

If this is not a successor plan, for the first Plan Year the Plan permits any Participant to make Elective Deferral Contributions, for purposes of the foregoing tests, the prior year’s Nonhighly Compensated Employees’ ADP shall be 3 percent or the Plan Year’s ADP for these Eligible Participants, as elected by the Employer in subparagraph (e) of this section.

 

If the Employer has elected to use the current year testing method, that election cannot be changed unless (i) the Plan has been using the current year testing method for the preceding five Plan Years, or if less, the number of Plan Years the Plan has been in existence; or (ii) if as a result of a merger or acquisition described in Code Section 410(b)(6)(C)(i), the Employer maintains both a plan using the prior year testing method and a plan using the current year testing method and the change is made within the transition period described in Code Section 410(b)(6)(C)(ii).

A Participant is a Highly Compensated Employee for a particular Plan Year if he meets the definition of a Highly Compensated Employee in effect for that Plan Year. Similarly, a Participant is a Nonhighly Compensated Employee for a particular Plan Year if he does not meet the definition of a Highly Compensated Employee in effect for that Plan Year.

The Deferral Percentage for any Eligible Participant who is a Highly Compensated Employee for the Plan Year and who is eligible to have Elective Deferral Contributions (and Qualified Nonelective Contributions or Qualified Matching Contributions, or both, if treated as Elective Deferral Contributions for purposes of the ADP Test) allocated to his account under two or more arrangements described in Code Section 401(k) that are maintained by the Employer or a Controlled Group member shall be determined as if such Elective Deferral Contributions (and, if applicable, such Qualified Nonelective Contributions or Qualified Matching Contributions, or both) were made under a single arrangement. If a Highly Compensated Employee participates in two or more cash or deferred arrangements of the Employer or of a Controlled Group member that have different plan years, all Elective Deferral Contributions made during the Plan Year shall be aggregated. The foregoing notwithstanding, certain plans shall be treated as separate if mandatorily disaggregated under the regulations of Code Section 401(k).

In the event this Plan satisfies the requirements of Code Section 401(k), 401(a)(4), or 410(b) only if aggregated with one or more other plans, or if one or more other plans satisfy the requirements of such Code sections only if aggregated with this Plan, then this section shall be applied by determining the Deferral Percentage of Employees as if all such plans were a single plan. If more than 10 percent of the Employer’s Nonhighly Compensated Employees are involved in a plan coverage change as defined in section 1.401(k)-2(c)(4) of the regulations, then any adjustments to the Nonhighly Compensated Employee ADP for the prior year shall be made in accordance with such regulations if the Employer has elected to use the prior year testing method. Plans may be aggregated in order to satisfy Code Section 401(k) only if they have the same plan year and use the same testing method for the ADP Test.

For purposes of the ADP Test, Elective Deferral Contributions, Qualified Nonelective Contributions, and Qualified Matching Contributions must be made before the end of the 12-month period immediately following the Plan Year to which the contributions relate.

If the Plan Administrator should determine during the Plan Year that the ADP Test is not being met, the Plan Administrator may limit the amount of future Elective Deferral Contributions of the Highly Compensated Employees.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Plan, Excess Contributions, plus any income and minus any loss allocable thereto, shall be distributed no later than 12 months after the last day of a Plan Year to Participants to whose Accounts such Excess Contributions were allocated for such Plan Year, except to the extent such Excess Contributions are classified as Catch-up Contributions. Excess Contributions are allocated to the Highly Compensated Employees with the largest amounts of employer contributions taken into account in calculating the ADP Test for the year in which the excess arose, beginning with the Highly Compensated Employee with the largest amount of such employer contributions and continuing in descending order until all of the Excess Contributions have been allocated. If a Highly Compensated Employee participates in two or more cash or deferred arrangements of the Employer or of a Controlled Group member, the amount distributed shall not exceed the amount of the employer contributions taken into account in calculating the ADP test and made to this Plan for the year in which the excess arose. If Catch-up Contributions are allowed for the Plan Year being tested, to the extent a Highly Compensated Employee has not reached his Catch-up Contribution limit under the Plan for such year, Excess Contributions allocated to such Highly Compensated Employee are Catch-up Contributions and will not be treated as Excess Contributions. If such excess amounts (other than Catch-up Contributions) are distributed more than 2 1/2 months after the last day of the Plan Year in which such excess amounts arose, a 10 percent excise tax shall be imposed on the employer maintaining the plan with respect to such amounts.

Excess Contributions shall be treated as Annual Additions, as defined in the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of this article, even if distributed.

The Excess Contributions shall be adjusted for any income or loss. The income or loss allocable to such Excess Contributions allocated to each Participant shall be equal to the income or loss allocable to the Participant’s Elective Deferral Contributions (and, if applicable, Qualified Nonelective Contributions or Qualified Matching Contributions, or both) for the Plan Year in which the excess occurred multiplied by a fraction. The numerator of the fraction is the Excess Contributions. The denominator of the fraction is the closing balance without regard to any income or loss occurring during such Plan Year (as of the end of such Plan Year) of the Participant’s Account resulting from Elective Deferral Contributions (and Qualified Nonelective Contributions or Qualified Matching Contributions, or both, if such contributions are included in the ADP Test).

For purposes of determining income or loss on Excess Contributions, no adjustment shall be made for income or loss for the gap period.

Excess Contributions allocated to a Participant shall be distributed from the Participant’s Account resulting from Elective Deferral Contributions. If such Excess Contributions exceed the amount of Excess Contributions in the Participant’s Account resulting from Elective Deferral Contributions, the balance shall be distributed from the Participant’s Account resulting from Qualified Matching Contributions (if applicable) and Qualified Nonelective Contributions, respectively.

Distribution of Excess Contributions shall be made on a pro rata basis from the Participant’s Account resulting from Pre-tax Elective Deferral Contributions and Roth Elective Deferral Contributions in the same proportion that such Contributions were made for the applicable year.

Any Matching Contributions that were based on the Elective Deferral Contributions distributed as Excess Contributions, plus any income and minus any loss allocable thereto, shall be forfeited.

If this is not a successor plan, for the first Plan Year the Plan permits any Participant to make Participant Contributions, provides for Matching Contributions, or both, for purposes of the foregoing tests, the prior year’s Nonhighly Compensated Employees’ ACP shall be 3 percent or the Plan Year’s ACP for these Eligible Participants, as elected by the Employer in subparagraph (e) of this section.

If the Employer has elected to use the current year testing method, that election cannot be changed unless (i) the Plan has been using the current year testing method for the preceding five Plan Years, or if less, the number of Plan Years the Plan has been in existence; or (ii) if as a result of a merger or acquisition described in Code Section 410(b)(6)(C)(i), the Employer maintains both a plan using the prior year testing method and a plan using the current year testing method and the change is made within the transition period described in Code Section 410(b)(6)(C)(ii).

A Participant is a Highly Compensated Employee for a particular Plan Year if he meets the definition of a Highly Compensated Employee in effect for that Plan Year. Similarly, a Participant is a Nonhighly Compensated Employee for a particular Plan Year if he does not meet the definition of a Highly Compensated Employee in effect for that Plan Year.

The Contribution Percentage for any Eligible Participant who is a Highly Compensated Employee for the Plan Year and who is eligible to have Contribution Percentage Amounts allocated to his account under two or more plans described in Code Section 401(a) or arrangements described in Code Section 401(k) that are maintained by the Employer or a Controlled Group member shall be determined as if the total of such Contribution Percentage Amounts was made under each plan and arrangement. If a Highly Compensated Employee participates in two or more such plans or arrangements that have different plan years, all Contribution Percentage Amounts made during the Plan Year shall be aggregated. The foregoing notwithstanding, certain plans shall be treated as separate if mandatorily disaggregated under the regulations of Code Section 401(m).

 

In the event this Plan satisfies the requirements of Code Section 401(m), 401(a)(4), or 410(b) only if aggregated with one or more other plans, or if one or more other plans satisfy the requirements of such Code sections only if aggregated with this Plan, then this section shall be applied by determining the Contribution Percentage of Employees as if all such plans were a single plan. If more than 10 percent of the Employer’s Nonhighly Compensated Employees are involved in a plan coverage change as defined in section 1.401(m)-2(c)(4) of the regulations, then any adjustments to the Nonhighly Compensated Employee ACP for the prior year shall be made in accordance with such regulations if the Employer has elected to use the prior year testing method. Plans may be aggregated in order to satisfy Code Section 401(m) only if they have the same plan year and use the same testing method for the ACP Test.

For purposes of the ACP Test, Participant Contributions are considered to have been made in the Plan Year in which contributed to the Plan. Matching Contributions and Qualified Nonelective Contributions will be considered to have been made for a Plan Year if made no later than the end of the 12-month period beginning on the day after the close of the Plan Year.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Plan, Excess Aggregate Contributions, plus any income and minus any loss allocable thereto, shall be forfeited, if not vested, or distributed, if vested, no later than 12 months after the last day of a Plan Year to Participants to whose Accounts such Excess Aggregate Contributions were allocated for such Plan Year. Excess Aggregate Contributions are allocated to the Highly Compensated Employees with the largest Contribution Percentage Amounts taken into account in calculating the ACP Test for the year in which the excess arose, beginning with the Highly Compensated Employee with the largest amount of such Contribution Percentage Amounts and continuing in descending order until all of the Excess Aggregate Contributions have been allocated. If a Highly Compensated Employee participates in two or more plans or arrangements of the Employer or of a Controlled Group member that include Contribution Percentage Amounts, the amount distributed shall not exceed the Contribution Percentage Amounts taken into account in calculating the ACP Test and made to this Plan for the year in which the excess arose. If such Excess Aggregate Contributions are distributed more than 2 1/2 months after the last day of the Plan Year in which such excess amounts arose, a 10 percent excise tax shall be imposed on the employer maintaining the plan with respect to such amounts.

Excess Aggregate Contributions shall be treated as Annual Additions, as defined in the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of this article, even if distributed.

The Excess Aggregate Contributions shall be adjusted for any income or loss. The income or loss allocable to such Excess Aggregate Contributions allocated to each Participant shall be equal to the income or loss allocable to the Participant’s Contribution Percentage Amounts for the Plan Year in which the excess occurred multiplied by a fraction. The numerator of the fraction is the Excess Aggregate Contributions. The denominator of the fraction is the closing balance without regard to any income or loss occurring during such Plan Year (as of the end of such Plan Year) of the Participant’s Account resulting from Contribution Percentage Amounts.

For purposes of determining income or loss on Excess Aggregate Contributions, no adjustment shall be made for income or loss for the gap period.

Excess Aggregate Contributions allocated to a Participant shall be distributed from the Participant’s Account resulting from Participant Contributions that are not required as a condition of employment or participation or for obtaining additional benefits from Employer Contributions. If such Excess Aggregate Contributions exceed the balance in the Participant’s Account resulting from such Participant Contributions, the balance shall be forfeited, if not vested, or distributed, if vested, on a pro rata basis from the Participant’s Account resulting from Contribution Percentage Amounts.

The notice shall be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the average Active Participant.

If an Employee becomes an Active Participant after the 90th day before the beginning of the Plan Year and does not receive this notice for that reason, the notice must be provided no more than 90 days before he becomes an Active Participant but not later than the date he becomes an Active Participant.

 

If the 401(k) safe harbor election is revoked, the Employer shall perform the ADP Test and ACP Test for the entire Plan Year using the current year testing method described in the EXCESS AMOUNTS SECTION of this article. The Employer shall make the Qualified Matching Contributions for the period prior to the effective date of the revocation.

The handling of Contributions and Plan assets is governed by the provisions of the Trust Agreement and any other relevant document, such as an Annuity Contract (for the purposes of this paragraph alone, the Trust Agreement and such other documents will each be referred to as a document or collectively as the documents), duly entered into by or with regard to the Plan that govern such matters. To the extent permitted by the documents, the parties named below shall direct the Contributions for investment in any of the investment options available to the Plan under or through the documents, and may request the transfer of amounts resulting from those Contributions between such investment options.

A Participant may not direct the investment of all or any portion of his Account in collectibles. Collectibles mean any work of art, rug or antique, metal or gem, stamp or coin, alcoholic beverage, or other tangible personal property specified by the Secretary of the Treasury. However, for tax years beginning after December 31, 1997, certain coins and bullion as provided in Code Section 408(m)(3) shall not be considered collectibles.

If a Participant has provided investment direction for all or certain specific Contributions made to his Account, such Contributions shall be invested in accordance with such direction to the extent possible. If an investment option selected by the Participant in that investment direction is no longer available and a new investment option is not selected by the Participant (in lieu of the one that is no longer available) by the deadline set by a fiduciary of the Plan (or by the date the investment option is no longer available), all amounts currently held in the investment option that is no longer available and future Contributions directed to such investment option by the Participant (and made after such deadline or date) shall be invested in the appropriate default investment option, unless otherwise directed by a fiduciary of the Plan.

If an investment option selected by the Participant is no longer available for future Contributions only and a new investment option is not selected by the Participant (in lieu of the one that is no longer available) by the deadline set by a fiduciary of the Plan (or by the date the investment option is no longer available), all future Contributions directed to such investment option that is not available for future Contributions (and made after such deadline or date) shall be invested in the appropriate default investment option, unless otherwise directed by a fiduciary of the Plan.

 

To the extent that a Participant who has the ability to provide investment direction (either on an ongoing basis or in response to a notice from a fiduciary of the Plan) fails to give timely investment direction, the amount in the Participant’s Account for which no investment direction is received shall be invested in the appropriate default investment option, unless otherwise directed by a fiduciary of the Plan.

If the Primary Employer has investment direction, the Contributions shall be invested in accordance with such direction. The Employer shall have investment direction for amounts that have not been allocated to Participants. To the extent an investment option is no longer available, a fiduciary of the Plan may require that amounts currently held in such investment option be reinvested in other investment options. To the extent that the Employer has not given investment direction, and no Plan fiduciary gives direction regarding the reinvestment of such amounts, the amounts held in an investment option that is no longer available or which had been directed to be invested in an investment option that is not available for future Contributions shall be invested in the appropriate default investment option.

Default investment options are defined in documents duly entered into by or with regard to the Plan that govern such matters.

 

At least annually, the Named Fiduciary shall review all pertinent Employee information and Plan data in order to establish the funding policy of the Plan and to determine appropriate methods of carrying out the Plan's objectives. The Named Fiduciary shall inform the Trustee and any Investment Manager of the Plan's short-term and long-term financial needs so the investment policy can be coordinated with the Plan's financial requirements.

 

The Participant shall direct the investment of all Contributions and the transfer of amounts resulting from those Contributions.

However, the Named Fiduciary may delegate to the Investment Manager investment direction for Contributions and amounts that are not subject to Participant direction.

The Employer shall pay to the Insurer or Trustee, as applicable, the Qualified Matching Contributions calculated based on Elective Deferral Contributions for a specified payroll period not later than the last day of the Plan-year Quarter following the calculation period specified.

 

All Contributions are forwarded by the Employer to (i) the Trustee to be deposited in the Trust Fund or otherwise invested by the Trustee in accordance with the relevant documents; or (ii) the Insurer to be deposited under the Annuity Contract, as applicable.

The Plan shall offer at least three investment options, other than Qualifying Employer Securities, to which the applicable individual may direct all or any portion of his Account invested in Qualifying Employer Securities, and each investment option must be diversified and have materially different risk and return characteristics that satisfy the requirements of section 2550.404c-1(b)(3) of the Department of Labor regulations. The Plan may limit the time for divestment and reinvestment to periodic, reasonable opportunities occurring no less frequently than quarterly. The Plan may not impose any restrictions or conditions with respect to the investment of Qualifying Employer Securities that are not imposed on the investment options offered under the Plan.

A notice must be provided to each applicable individual that describes the divestiture rights and the importance of diversifying the investment of retirement plan assets. The Plan Administrator shall provide the notice to all applicable individuals no later than 30 days before the date on which the applicable individuals are eligible to exercise their right to diversify.

If the Qualifying Employer Securities are not readily tradable such that reasonable valuation may not be obtained from the market place, then such securities must be valued at least annually by an independent appraiser who is not associated with the Employer, the Plan Administrator, the Trustee, or any person related to any fiduciary under the Plan. The independent appraiser may be associated with a person who is merely a contract administrator with respect to the Plan, but who exercises no discretionary authority and is not a plan fiduciary.

If there is a public market for Qualifying Employer Securities of the type held by the Plan, then the Plan Administrator may use as the value of the securities the price at which securities trade in such market. If the Qualifying Employer Securities do not trade on the relevant date, or are not readily tradable on such date, then the Plan Administrator may use for the valuation the next preceding trading day on which the trading prices are representative of the fair market value of such securities in the opinion of the Plan Administrator.

In the event that the Trustee acquires Qualifying Employer Securities by purchase from a disqualified person as defined in Code Section 4975(e)(2) or from a party-in-interest as defined in ERISA Section 3(14), the terms of such purchase shall contain the provision that in the event there is a final determination by the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor, or court of competent jurisdiction that the fair market value of such securities as of the date of purchase was less than the purchase price paid by the Trustee, then the seller shall pay or transfer, as the case may be, to the Trustee an amount of cash or shares of Qualifying Employer Securities equal in value to the difference between the purchase price and such fair market value for all such shares. In the event that cash or shares of Qualifying Employer Securities are paid or transferred to the Trustee under this provision, such securities shall be valued at their fair market value as of the date of such purchase, and interest at a reasonable rate from the date of purchase to the date of repayment or transfer shall be paid by the seller on the amount of cash paid.

Dividends paid on Qualifying Employer Securities shall be 100% vested when made.

In addition, dividends attributable to Qualified Employer Securities held in the Unallocated Reserve (as a result of an Exempt Loan) shall be allocated to Participants’ Accounts as earnings of the Trust available to repay an Exempt Loan to the extent allowed by ERISA.

Such earnings shall be allocated in proportion to the shares of Qualified Employer Securities held in a Participant’s Account as of the record date of the dividend.

 

A Participant, Beneficiary or Alternate Payee may elect to have cash dividends on shares of Qualified Employer Securities credited to his Account either paid to him in cash or added to the balance of his Account and reinvested in Qualified Employer Securities. Cash dividends that the Participant, Beneficiary or Alternate Payee elects to receive in cash will be paid on or as soon as administratively practicable following the record date of such dividend. Cash dividends that the Participant, Beneficiary or Alternate Payee elects to have reinvested in Qualified Employer Securities will be credited to a separate source account that reflects only such cash dividends, and shall be reinvested in additional shares of Qualified Employer Securities on or as soon as administratively practicable following the record date of such dividend, which may be after the end of the Plan Year once Qualified Employer Securities can be valued for acquisition purposes.

Shares in Qualified Employer Securities shall be deemed to be credited to the Account of a Participant, Beneficiary or Alternate Payee as of the record date of a dividend if they are credited to his Account as of the close of the day prior to the ex-date of such dividend (or, if the ex-date is after the record date, as of the close of the day prior to the record date).

An election hereunder must be made in such manner and in accordance with such rules as may be prescribed for this purpose by the Plan Administrator (including by means of a voice response or other electronic system under circumstances so authorized by the Plan Administrator). In the absence of an affirmative election received by the deadline established for this purpose by the Plan Administrator (which shall be no less than thirty (30) days after notice of the dividend election is provided), a Participant, Beneficiary or Alternate Payee will be deemed to have elected to have cash dividends added to his Account and reinvested in Qualified Employer Securities. To the extent so prescribed by the Plan Administrator, an election hereunder will be evergreen - that is, it will continue to apply until changed by the Participant, Beneficiary or Alternate Payee. Under the rules prescribed by the Plan Administrator, a Participant, Beneficiary or Alternate Payee shall be allowed to revise his election no less than once a year, and if there is a change in the terms of the Plan governing the manner in which dividends are paid or distributed, a Participant, Beneficiary or Alternate Payee shall be allowed a reasonable opportunity to make a new election.

The Account of a Participant, Beneficiary or Alternate Payee may be charged with the distribution costs (for example, the actual check-writing fee) of any distribution made at his election under this Section.

 

"A" = the number of shares held in the Unallocated Reserve immediately before the release;

"B" = a fraction, the numerator of which is equal to the principal and interest paid on the Exempt Loan for the Plan Year and the denominator of which is equal to the sum of the numerator and the total principal and interest scheduled to be paid on the Exempt Loan for all future Plan Years (without consideration of possible extensions or renewal periods).

If the interest rate under the Exempt Loan is variable, the amount of interest to be paid in future Plan Years shall be calculated by using the interest rate in effect on the last day of the current Plan Year.

Alternatively, B may be calculated as a fraction, the numerator of which is equal to the principal paid on the Exempt Loan for the Plan Year and the denominator of which is equal to the sum of the numerator and the total principal scheduled to be paid on the Exempt Loan for all future Plan Years (without consideration of possible extensions or renewal periods). This alternative may only be used if the following conditions are met, (i) the loan must provide for annual payments of principal and interest at a cumulative rate that is not less rapid at any time than level annual payments of such amounts for 10 years, (ii) interest included in any payment is disregarded only to the extent that it would be determined to be interest under standard loan amortization tables, and (iii) this alternative is not applicable from the time that, by reason of a renewal, extension, or refinancing, the sum of the expired duration of the exempt loan, the renewal period, the extension period, and the duration of the new exempt loan exceeds 10 years.

If an Exempt Loan is repaid as a result of a refinancing by another Exempt Loan, such repayment shall not be considered a repayment under this subsection and the release of shares thereafter shall be determined by aggregating principal and interest on the loan and any refinancing of the loan.

 

Each Participant shall be entitled to one vote for each share credited to his Account.

If some or all of the Participants have not directed or have not timely directed the Trustee on how to vote, then the Trustee shall vote such Qualifying Employer Securities, PLUS THE SHARES ATTRIBUTABLE TO Qualifying Employer Securities held unallocated in a Suspense Account as a result of an Exempt Loan, in the same proportion as those shares of Qualifying Employer Securities for which the Trustee has received proper direction for such matter.

Tender rights or exchange offers for Qualifying Employer Securities will be passed through to Participants. As soon as practicable after the commencement of a tender or exchange offer for Qualifying Employer Securities, the Employer shall cause each person with power to control the response to such tender or exchange offer to be advised in writing the terms of the offer and, if applicable, to be provided with a form for instructing the Trustee, or for revoking such instruction, to tender or exchange shares of Qualifying Employer Securities, to the extent permitted under the terms of such offer. In advising such persons of the terms of the offer, the Employer may include statements from the board of directors setting forth its position with respect to the offer.

To the extent some or all of the Participants have not directed or have not timely directed the Trustee on how to respond to such tender or exchange, then the Trustee shall not tender or exchange such Qualifying Employer Securities in the same proportion as those shares of Qualifying Employer Securities on which no direction was received. In addition, shares attributable to Qualifying Employer Securities held unallocated in a Suspense Account as a result of an Exempt Loan shall be tendered or exchanged in the same proportion as those shares of Qualifying Employer Securities that are allocated to Participants’ Accounts.

If the tender or exchange offer is limited so that all of the shares that the Trustee has been directed to tender or exchange cannot be sold or exchanged, the shares that each Participant directed to be tendered or exchanged shall be deemed to have been sold or exchanged in the same ratio that the number of shares actually sold or exchanged bears to the total number of shares that the Trustee was directed to tender or exchange.

The Trustee shall hold the Participant’s individual directions with respect to voting rights or tender decisions in confidence and, except as required by law, shall not divulge or release such individual directions to anyone associated with the Employer. The Employer may require verification of the Trustee’s compliance with the directions received from Participants by any independent auditor selected by the Employer, provided that such auditor agrees to maintain the confidentiality of such individual directions.

The Employer may develop procedures to facilitate the exercise of votes or tender rights, such as the use of facsimile transmissions for the Participants located in physically remote areas.

On a Participant's Retirement Date, his Vested Account shall be distributed to him according to the distribution of benefits provisions of Article VI and the provisions of the SMALL AMOUNTS SECTION of Article X.

If a Participant dies before his Annuity Starting Date, his Vested Account shall be distributed according to the distribution of benefits provisions of Article VI and the provisions of the SMALL AMOUNTS SECTION of Article X.

If an Inactive Participant’s Vested Account is not payable under the SMALL AMOUNTS SECTION of Article X, he may elect, but is not required, to receive a distribution of any part of his Vested Account after he has a Severance from Employment. A distribution under this paragraph shall be a retirement benefit and shall be distributed to the Participant according to the distribution of benefits provisions of Article VI.

A Participant may not elect to receive a distribution under the provisions of this section after he again becomes an Employee until he subsequently has a Severance from Employment and meets the requirements of this section.

 

A Participant who has been performing Qualified Military Service for a period of more than 30 days is deemed to have had a severance from employment (as described in Code Section 414(u)(12)(B)(i)) for purposes of requesting a distribution of his Vested Account resulting from Elective Deferral Contributions. The Plan will suspend Elective Deferral Contributions for six months after receipt of the distribution.

If an Inactive Participant does not receive an earlier distribution, upon his Retirement Date or death, his Vested Account shall be distributed according to the provisions of the RETIREMENT BENEFITS SECTION or the DEATH BENEFITS SECTION of this article.

The Nonvested Account of an Inactive Participant who has had a Severance from Employment shall remain a part of his Account until it becomes a Forfeiture. However, if he again becomes an Employee so that his Vesting Percentage can increase, the Nonvested Account may become a part of his Vested Account.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure of a Participant to consent to a distribution while a benefit is immediately distributable, within the meaning of the ELECTION PROCEDURES SECTION of Article VI, shall be deemed to be an election to defer the start of benefits sufficient to satisfy this section.

The Participant may elect to have benefits begin after the latest date for beginning benefits described above, subject to the following provisions of this section. The Participant shall make the election in writing. Such election must be made before his Normal Retirement Date or the date he has a Severance from Employment, if later. The Participant shall not elect a date for beginning benefits or a form of distribution that would result in a benefit payable when he dies which would be more than incidental within the meaning of governmental regulations.

Benefits shall begin on an earlier date if otherwise provided in the Plan. For example, the Participant’s Retirement Date or Required Beginning Date, as defined in the DEFINITIONS SECTION of Article VII.

 

Elective Deferral Contributions

Qualified Matching Contributions

Qualified Nonelective Contributions

may not be distributed earlier than Severance from Employment, death, or disability. However, such amount may be distributed upon:

The Participant’s Vested Account resulting from Elective Deferral Contributions may also be distributed:

 

All distributions that may be made pursuant to one or more of the foregoing distributable events will be a retirement benefit and shall be distributed to the Participant according to the distribution of benefits provisions of Article VI. In addition, distributions that are triggered by the termination of the Plan must be made in a lump sum. A lump sum shall include a distribution of an annuity contract.

For purposes of this subparagraph (2), Qualifying Employer Securities do not include any Qualifying Employer Securities acquired with the proceeds of an Exempt Loan until the close of the Plan Year in which the borrower repays the Exempt Loan in full.

A request for withdrawal shall be made in such manner and in accordance with such rules as the Employer shall prescribe for this purpose (including by means of voice response or other electronic means under circumstances the Employer permits). Withdrawals shall be a retirement benefit and shall be distributed to the Participant according to the distribution of benefits provisions of Article VI. A forfeiture shall not occur solely as a result of a withdrawal.

A Participant may withdraw any part of his Vested Account resulting from Rollover Contributions. A Participant may make such a withdrawal at any time.

A Participant who has attained age 59 1/2 may withdraw any part of his Vested Account resulting from the following Contributions:

Elective Deferral Contributions

Matching Contributions

Qualified Nonelective Contributions

Discretionary Contributions

Rollover Contributions

A Participant may make such a withdrawal at any time.

A Participant may withdraw any part of his Vested Account resulting from the following Contributions:

Elective Deferral Contributions

in the event of hardship due to an immediate and heavy financial need. Withdrawals from the Participant's Account resulting from Elective Deferral Contributions shall be limited to the amount of the Participant's Elective Deferral Contributions plus income allocable thereto credited to his Account as of December 31, 1988.

Immediate and heavy financial need shall be limited to: (i) expenses incurred or necessary for medical care that would be deductible under Code Section 213(a) (determined without regard to whether the expenses exceed the stated limit on adjusted gross income); (ii) the purchase (excluding mortgage payments) of a principal residence for the Participant; (iii) payment of tuition, related educational fees, and room and board expenses, for up to the next 12 months of post-secondary education for the Participant, his spouse, children, or dependents (as defined in Code Section 152 without regard to Code Sections 152(b)(1), (b)(2), and (d)(1)(B)); (iv) payments necessary to prevent the eviction of the Participant from, or foreclosure on the mortgage of, the Participant’s principal residence; (v) payments for funeral or burial expenses for the Participant’s deceased parent, spouse, child, or dependent (as defined in Code Section 152 without regard to Code Section 152(d)(1)(B)); (vi) expenses to repair damage to the Participant’s principal residence that would qualify for a casualty loss deduction under Code Section 165 (determined without regard to whether the loss exceeds 10% of adjusted gross income); or (vii) any other distribution which is deemed by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to be made on account of immediate and heavy financial need as provided in Treasury regulations.

No withdrawal shall be allowed which is not necessary to satisfy such immediate and heavy financial need. Such withdrawal shall be deemed necessary only if all of the following requirements are met: (i) the distribution is not in excess of the amount of the immediate and heavy financial need (including amounts necessary to pay any Federal, state, or local income taxes or penalties reasonably anticipated to result from the distribution); (ii) the Participant has obtained all distributions, other than hardship distributions, and all nontaxable loans currently available under all plans maintained by the Employer; and (iii) the Plan, and all other plans maintained by the Employer, provide that the Participant's elective contributions and participant contributions will be suspended for at least six months after receipt of the hardship distribution. The Plan will suspend elective contributions and participant contributions for six months as provided in the preceding sentence. A Participant shall not cease to be an Eligible Participant, as defined in the EXCESS AMOUNTS SECTION of Article III, merely because his elective contributions or participant contributions are suspended.

Loans shall be made available to all Participants on a reasonably equivalent basis. For purposes of this section, and unless otherwise specified, Participant means any Participant or Beneficiary who is a party-in-interest as defined in ERISA. Loans shall not be made to Highly Compensated Employees in an amount greater than the amount made available to other Participants.

A loan to a Participant shall be a Participant-directed investment of his Account. The loan is a Trust Fund investment but no Account other than the borrowing Participant’s Account shall share in the interest paid on the loan or bear any expense or loss incurred because of the loan.

The number of outstanding loans shall be limited to two. No more than two loans shall be approved for any Participant in any 12-month period. The minimum amount of any loan shall be $1,000.

Loans must be adequately secured and bear a reasonable rate of interest.

The amount of the loan shall not exceed the maximum amount that may be treated as a loan under Code Section 72(p) (rather than a distribution) to the Participant and shall be equal to the lesser of (a) or (b) below:

For purposes of this maximum, all qualified employer plans, as defined in Code Section 72(p)(4), of the Employer and any Controlled Group member shall be treated as one plan.

The foregoing notwithstanding, the amount of such loan shall not exceed 50 percent of the amount of the Participant’s Vested Account, reduced by any outstanding loan balance on the date the new loan is made. For purposes of this maximum, a Participant’s Vested Account does not include any accumulated deductible employee contributions, as defined in Code Section 72(o)(5)(B). No collateral other than a portion of the Participant’s Vested Account (as limited above) shall be accepted.

The Participant’s outstanding loan balance shall include any deemed distribution, along with accrued interest, that has not been repaid or offset.

Each loan shall bear a reasonable fixed rate of interest to be determined by the Loan Administrator. In determining the interest rate, the Loan Administrator shall take into consideration fixed interest rates currently being charged by commercial lenders for loans of comparable risk on similar terms and for similar durations, so that the interest will provide for a return commensurate with rates currently charged by commercial lenders for loans made under similar circumstances. The Loan Administrator shall not discriminate among Participants in the matter of interest rates; but loans granted at different times may bear different interest rates in accordance with the current appropriate standards.

The loan shall by its terms require that repayment (principal and interest) be amortized in level payments, not less frequently than quarterly, over a period not extending beyond five years from the date of the loan.

 

The Participant shall make an application for a loan in such manner and in accordance with such rules as the Employer shall prescribe for this purpose (including by means of voice response or other electronic means under circumstances the Employer permits). The application must specify the amount and duration requested.

Information contained in the application for the loan concerning the income, liabilities, and assets of the Participant will be evaluated to determine whether there is a reasonable expectation that the Participant will be able to satisfy payments on the loan as due.

Each loan shall be fully documented in the form of a promissory note signed by the Participant for the face amount of the loan, together with interest determined as specified above.

There will be an assignment of collateral to the Plan executed at the time the loan is made.

 

In those cases where repayment through payroll deduction is available, installments are so payable, and a payroll deduction agreement shall be executed by the Participant at the time the loan is made. If the Participant has previously been treated as having received a deemed distribution and the subsequent loan is being made before the deemed distribution, along with accrued interest, has been repaid (or offset), a payroll deduction agreement shall be required. If a payroll deduction agreement is required because of a previous deemed distribution and the Participant later revokes such agreement, the outstanding loan balance at the time of the revocation shall be treated as a deemed distribution.

Where payroll deduction is not available, payments in cash are to be timely made. Any payment that is not by payroll deduction shall be made payable to the Employer or the Trustee, as specified in the promissory note, and delivered to the Loan Administrator, including prepayments, service fees and penalties, if any, and other amounts due under the note.

The promissory note may provide for reasonable late payment penalties and service fees. Any penalties or service fees shall be applied to all Participants in a nondiscriminatory manner. If the promissory note so provides, such amounts may be assessed and collected from the Account of the Participant as part of the loan balance.

 

Each loan may be paid prior to maturity, in part or in full, without penalty or service fee, except as may be set out in the promissory note.

 

The Plan may suspend loan payments for a period not exceeding one year during which an approved unpaid leave of absence occurs other than a military leave of absence. The Loan Administrator shall provide the Participant a written explanation of the effect of the suspension of payments upon his loan.

If a Participant separates from service (or takes a leave of absence) from the Employer because of service in the military and does not receive a distribution of his Vested Account, the Plan may suspend loan payments until the Participant’s completion of military service or until the Participant’s fifth anniversary of commencement of military service, if earlier, as permitted under Code Section 414(u). The Loan Administrator shall provide the Participant a written explanation of the effect of his military service upon his loan.

If any payment of principal and interest, or any portion thereof, remains unpaid for more than 90 days after due, the loan shall be in default. For purposes of Code Section 72(p), the Participant shall then be treated as having received a deemed distribution regardless of whether or not a distributable event has occurred.

Upon default, the Plan has the right to pursue any remedy available by law to satisfy the amount due, along with accrued interest, including the right to enforce its claim against the security pledged and execute upon the collateral as allowed by law. The entire principal balance whether or not otherwise then due, along with accrued interest, shall become immediately due and payable without demand or notice, and subject to collection or satisfaction by any lawful means, including specifically, but not limited to, the right to enforce the claim against the security pledged and to execute upon the collateral as allowed by law.

In the event of default, foreclosure on the note and attachment of security or use of amounts pledged to satisfy the amount then due shall not occur until a distributable event occurs in accordance with the Plan, and shall not occur to an extent greater than the amount then available upon any distributable event which has occurred under the Plan.

All reasonable costs and expenses, including but not limited to attorney's fees, incurred by the Plan in connection with any default or in any proceeding to enforce any provision of a promissory note or instrument by which a promissory note for a Participant loan is secured, shall be assessed and collected from the Account of the Participant as part of the loan balance.

If payroll deduction is being utilized, in the event that a Participant's available payroll deduction amounts in any given month are insufficient to satisfy the total amount due, there will be an increase in the amount taken subsequently, sufficient to make up the amount that is then due. If any amount remains past due more than 90 days, the entire principal amount, whether or not otherwise then due, along with interest then accrued, shall become due and payable, as above.

If no distributable event has occurred under the Plan at the time that the Participant’s Vested Account would otherwise be used under this provision to pay any amount due under the outstanding loan, this will not occur until the time, or in excess of the extent to which, a distributable event occurs under the Plan. An outstanding loan will become due and payable in full 60 days after a Participant has a Severance from Employment and ceases to be a party-in-interest as defined in ERISA or after complete termination of the Plan.

The Plan specifically permits distributions to an Alternate Payee under a qualified domestic relations order as defined in Code Section 414(p), at any time, irrespective of whether the Participant has attained his earliest retirement age, as defined in Code Section 414(p), under the Plan. A distribution to an Alternate Payee before the Participant has attained his earliest retirement age is available only if the order specifies that distribution shall be made prior to the earliest retirement age or allows the Alternate Payee to elect a distribution prior to the earliest retirement age.

Nothing in this section shall permit a Participant to receive a distribution at a time otherwise not permitted under the Plan nor shall it permit the Alternate Payee to receive a form of payment not permitted under the Plan.

The benefit payable to an Alternate Payee shall be subject to the provisions of the SMALL AMOUNTS SECTION of Article X, as they apply to the Participant.

The Plan Administrator shall establish reasonable procedures to determine the qualified status of a domestic relations order. Upon receiving a domestic relations order, the Plan Administrator shall promptly notify the Participant and each Alternate Payee named in the order, in writing, of the receipt of the order and the Plan’s procedures for determining the qualified status of the order. Within a reasonable period of time after receiving the domestic relations order, the Plan Administrator shall determine the qualified status of the order and shall notify the Participant and each Alternate Payee, in writing, of its determination. The Plan Administrator shall provide notice under this paragraph by mailing to the individual’s address specified in the domestic relations order, or in a manner consistent with Department of Labor regulations. The Plan Administrator may treat as qualified any domestic relations order entered before January 1, 1985, irrespective of whether it satisfies all the requirements described in Code Section 414(p).

If any portion of the Participant’s Vested Account is payable during the period the Plan Administrator is making its determination of the qualified status of the domestic relations order, a separate accounting shall be made of the amount payable. If the Plan Administrator determines the order is a qualified domestic relations order within 18 months of the date amounts are first payable following receipt of the order, the payable amounts shall be distributed in accordance with the order. If the Plan Administrator does not make its determination of the qualified status of the order within the 18-month determination period, the payable amounts shall be distributed in the manner the Plan would distribute if the order did not exist and the order shall apply prospectively if the Plan Administrator later determines the order is a qualified domestic relations order.

The Plan shall make payments or distributions required under this section by separate benefit checks or other separate distribution to the Alternate Payee(s).

Unless an optional form of benefit is selected pursuant to a qualified election within the election period (see the ELECTION PROCEDURES SECTION of this article), the automatic form of benefit payable to or on behalf of a Participant is determined as follows:

The fixed period installment option is an optional form of benefit under which the Participant elects to receive substantially equal annual payments over a fixed period of whole years. The annual payment may be paid in annual, semi-annual, quarterly, or monthly installments as elected by the Participant. The Participant may elect to receive additional payments.

The fixed payment installment option is an optional form of benefit under which the Participant elects to receive a specified dollar amount each year. The annual payment may be paid in annual, semi-annual, quarterly, or monthly installments as elected by the Participant. The Participant may elect to receive additional payments.

Under the installment options the amount payable in the Participant’s first Distribution Calendar Year, as defined in the DEFINITIONS SECTION of Article VII, must satisfy the minimum distribution requirements of Article VII for such year. Distributions for later Distribution Calendar Years must satisfy the minimum distribution requirements of Article VII for such years. If the Participant’s Annuity Starting Date does not occur until his second Distribution Calendar Year, the amount payable for such year must satisfy the minimum distribution requirements of Article VII for both the first and second Distribution Calendar Years.

Election of an optional form is subject to the qualified election provisions of the ELECTION PROCEDURES SECTION of this article and the distribution requirements of Article VII.

Election of an optional form is subject to the qualified election provisions of the ELECTION PROCEDURES SECTION of this article and the distribution requirements of Article VII.

The Participant or Beneficiary shall make any election under this section in writing. The Plan Administrator may require such individual to complete and sign any necessary documents as to the provisions to be made. Any election permitted under (a) and (b) below shall be subject to the qualified election provisions of (c) below.

If the Participant has not elected an optional form of distribution for the death benefit payable to his Beneficiary, the Beneficiary may, for his own benefit, elect the form of distribution, in like manner as a Participant.

 

The consent of the Participant to a benefit that is immediately distributable must not be made before the date the Participant is provided with the notice of the ability to defer the distribution. Such consent shall be in writing.

The consent shall not be made more than 180 days before the Annuity Starting Date. The consent of the Participant shall not be required to the extent that a distribution is required to satisfy Code Section 401(a)(9) or 415.

In addition, upon termination of this Plan, if the Plan does not offer an annuity option (purchased from a commercial provider), and if the Employer (or any entity within the same Controlled Group) does not maintain another defined contribution plan (other than an employee stock ownership plan as defined in Code Section 4975(e)(7)), the Participant’s Account balance will, without the Participant’s consent, be distributed to the Participant. However, if any entity within the same Controlled Group maintains another defined contribution plan (other than an employee stock ownership plan as defined in Code Section 4975(e)(7)) the Participant’s Account will be transferred, without the Participant’s consent, to the other plan if the Participant does not consent to an immediate distribution.

A benefit is immediately distributable if any part of the benefit could be distributed to the Participant before the Participant attains the older of Normal Retirement Age or age 62.

Spousal consent is needed to name a Beneficiary other than the Participant’s spouse. If the Participant names a Beneficiary other than his spouse, the spouse has the right to limit consent only to a specific Beneficiary. The spouse can relinquish such right. Such consent shall be in writing. The spouse's consent shall be witnessed by a plan representative or notary public. The spouse's consent must acknowledge the effect of the election, including that the spouse had the right to limit consent only to a specific Beneficiary and that the relinquishment of such right was voluntary. Unless the consent of the spouse expressly permits designations by the Participant without a requirement of further consent by the spouse, the spouse's consent must be limited to the Beneficiary, class of Beneficiaries, or contingent Beneficiary named in the election.

Spousal consent is not required, however, if the Participant establishes to the satisfaction of the plan representative that the consent of the spouse cannot be obtained because there is no spouse or the spouse cannot be located. A spouse's consent under this paragraph shall not be valid with respect to any other spouse. A Participant may revoke a prior election without the consent of the spouse. Any new election will require a new spousal consent, unless the consent of the spouse expressly permits such election by the Participant without further consent by the spouse. A spouse's consent may be revoked at any time within the Participant's election period.

 

Optional Forms of Retirement Benefit and Right to Defer. The Plan Administrator shall furnish to the Participant a written explanation of the right of the Participant to defer distribution until such time it is no longer immediately distributable. Such notice shall include a written explanation of the optional forms of retirement benefit in the OPTIONAL FORMS OF DISTRIBUTION SECTION of this article, including a general description of the material features of these options.

The optional forms of distribution are only those provided in Article VI. An optional form of distribution shall not be permitted unless it meets the requirements of this article. The timing of any distribution must meet the requirements of this article.

For purposes of this article, the following terms are defined:

Distribution Calendar Year means a calendar year for which a minimum distribution is required. For distributions beginning before the Participant's death, the first Distribution Calendar Year is the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year that contains the Participant's Required Beginning Date. For distributions beginning after the Participant's death, the first Distribution Calendar Year is the calendar year in which distributions are required to begin under (b)(2) of the REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS SECTION of this article. The required minimum distribution for the Participant’s first Distribution Calendar Year will be made on or before the Participant’s Required Beginning Date. The required minimum distribution for other Distribution Calendar Years, including the required minimum distribution for the Distribution Calendar Year in which the Participant’s Required Beginning Date occurs, will be made on or before December 31 of that Distribution Calendar Year.

5-percent Owner means a Participant who is treated as a 5-percent Owner for purposes of this article. A Participant is treated as a 5-percent Owner for purposes of this article if such Participant is a 5-percent owner as defined in Code Section 416 at any time during the Plan Year ending with or within the calendar year in which such owner attains age 70 1/2.

Once distributions have begun to a 5-percent Owner under this article, they must continue to be distributed, even if the Participant ceases to be a 5-percent Owner in a subsequent year.

Life Expectancy means life expectancy as computed by use of the Single Life Table in Q&A-1 in section 1.401(a)(9)-9 of the regulations.

Participant's Account Balance means the Account balance as of the last Valuation Date in the calendar year immediately preceding the Distribution Calendar Year (valuation calendar year) increased by the amount of any contributions made and allocated or forfeitures allocated to the Account as of dates in the valuation calendar year after the Valuation Date and decreased by distributions made in the valuation calendar year after the Valuation Date. The Account balance for the valuation calendar year includes any amounts rolled over or transferred to the Plan either in the valuation calendar year or in the Distribution Calendar Year if distributed or transferred in the valuation calendar year.

Required Beginning Date means, for a Participant who is a 5-percent Owner, April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which he attains age 70 1/2.

Required Beginning Date means, for any Participant who is not a 5-percent Owner, April 1 of the calendar year following the later of the calendar year in which he attains age 70 1/2 or the calendar year in which he retires.

The preretirement age 70 1/2 distribution option is only eliminated with respect to Participants who reach age 70 1/2 in or after a calendar year that begins after the later of December 31, 1998, or the adoption date of the amendment which eliminated such option. The preretirement age 70 1/2 distribution option is an optional form of benefit under which benefits payable in a particular distribution form (including any modifications that may be elected after benefits begin) begin at a time during the period that begins on or after January 1 of the calendar year in which the Participant attains age 70 1/2 and ends April 1 of the immediately following calendar year.

The options available for Participants who are not 5-percent Owners and attained age 70 1/2 in calendar years before the calendar year that begins after the later of December 31, 1998, or the adoption date of the amendment which eliminated the preretirement age 70 1/2 distribution option shall be the following. Any such Participant attaining age 70 1/2 in years after 1995 may elect by April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which he attained age 70 1/2 (or by December 31, 1997 in the case of a Participant attaining age 70 1/2 in 1996) to defer distributions until April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which he retires. If no such election is made, the Participant shall begin receiving distributions by April 1 of the calendar year following the year in which he attained age 70 1/2 (or by December 31, 1997 in the case of a Participant attaining age 70 1/2 in 1996). Any such Participant attaining age 70 1/2 in years prior to 1997 may elect to stop distributions that are not purchased annuities and recommence by April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which he retires. There shall be a new Annuity Starting Date upon recommencement.

 

For purposes of this (b)(2) and (d) below, unless (b)(2)(iv) above applies, distributions are considered to begin on the Participant’s Required Beginning Date. If (b)(2)(iv) above applies, distributions are considered to begin on the date distributions are required to begin to the surviving spouse under (b)(2)(i) above. If distributions under an annuity purchased from an insurance company irrevocably commence to the Participant before the Participant’s Required Beginning Date (or to the Participant’s surviving spouse before the date distributions are required to begin to the surviving spouse under (b)(2)(i) above), the date distributions are considered to begin is the date distributions actually commence.

 

The Employer expects to continue the Plan indefinitely but reserves the right to terminate the Plan in whole or in part at any time upon giving written notice to all parties concerned.

The Account of each Participant shall be 100% vested and nonforfeitable as of the effective date of the complete termination of the Plan. The Account of each Participant shall also be 100% vested and nonforfeitable upon complete discontinuance of Contributions as of the effective date of the amendment to cease Contributions or the date determined by the Internal Revenue Service. Further, the Account of each Participant who is included in the group of Participants deemed to be affected by a partial termination of the Plan (as determined by the Plan Administrator or a governmental entity authorized to make such determination) shall be 100% vested and nonforfeitable as of the effective date of such event. The Participant’s Vested Account shall continue to participate in the earnings credited, expenses charged, and any appreciation or depreciation of the Investment Fund until his Vested Account is distributed.

A Participant’s Vested Account that does not result from the Contributions listed below may be distributed to the Participant after the effective date of the complete termination of the Plan:

Elective Deferral Contributions

Qualified Matching Contributions

Qualified Nonelective Contributions

A Participant’s Vested Account resulting from such Contributions may be distributed upon complete termination of the Plan, but only if neither the Employer nor any Controlled Group member maintain another defined contribution plan (other than an employee stock ownership plan as defined in Code Section 4975(e)(7) or 409(a), a simplified employee pension plan as defined in Code Section 408(k), a SIMPLE IRA plan as defined in Code Section 408(p), a plan or contract that satisfies the requirements of Code Section 403(b), or a plan described in Code Section 457(b) or (f)) at any time during the period beginning on the date of complete termination of the Plan and ending 12 months after all assets have been distributed from the Plan. Such distribution is made in a lump sum. A distribution under this article shall be a retirement benefit and shall be distributed to the Participant according to the provisions of Article VI.

However, the fixed period and fixed payment installment options shall not be available. If a Participant or Beneficiary is receiving payments under the fixed period or fixed payment installment option, the Vested Account shall be paid to such person in a single sum.

The Participant’s entire Vested Account shall be paid in a single sum to the Participant as of the effective date of complete termination of the Plan if (i) the requirements for distribution of Elective Deferral Contributions in the above paragraph are met and (ii) consent of the Participant is not required in the ELECTION PROCEDURES SECTION of Article VI to distribute a benefit that is immediately distributable. This is a small amounts payment. The small amounts payment is in full settlement of all benefits otherwise payable.

Upon complete termination of the Plan, no more Employees shall become Participants and no more Contributions shall be made.

The assets of this Plan shall not be paid to the Employer at any time, except that, after the satisfaction of all liabilities under the Plan, any assets remaining may be paid to the Employer. The payment may not be made if it would contravene any provision of law.

Subject to the provisions of this article, the Plan Administrator has complete control of the administration of the Plan. The Plan Administrator has all the powers necessary for it to properly carry out its administrative duties. Not in limitation, but in amplification of the foregoing, the Plan Administrator has complete discretion to construe or interpret the provisions of the Plan, including ambiguous provisions, if any, and to determine all questions that may arise under the Plan, including all questions relating to the eligibility of Employees to participate in the Plan and the amount of benefit to which any Participant or Beneficiary may become entitled. The Plan Administrator's decisions upon all matters within the scope of its authority shall be final.

Unless otherwise set out in the Plan or Annuity Contract, the Plan Administrator may delegate recordkeeping and other duties which are necessary to assist it with the administration of the Plan to any person or firm which agrees to accept such duties. The Plan Administrator shall be entitled to rely upon all tables, valuations, certificates and reports furnished by the consultant or actuary appointed by the Plan Administrator and upon all opinions given by any counsel selected or approved by the Plan Administrator.

The Plan Administrator shall receive all claims for benefits by Participants, former Participants and Beneficiaries. The Plan Administrator shall determine all facts necessary to establish the right of any Claimant to benefits and the amount of those benefits under the provisions of the Plan. The Plan Administrator may establish rules and procedures to be followed by Claimants in filing claims for benefits, in furnishing and verifying proofs necessary to determine age, and in any other matters required to administer the Plan.

Expenses of the Plan, to the extent that the Employer does not pay such expenses, may be paid out of the assets of the Plan provided that such payment is consistent with ERISA. Expenses of the Plan will be paid in accordance with the most recent service and expense agreement or such other documents duly entered into by or with regard to the Plan that govern such matters. Such expenses include, but are not limited to, expenses for bonding required by ERISA; expenses for recordkeeping and other administrative services; fees and expenses of the Trustee or Annuity Contract; expenses for investment education service; and direct costs that the Employer incurs with respect to the Plan. Expenses that relate solely to a specific Participant or Alternate Payee may be assessed against such Participant or Alternate Payee as provided in the service and expense agreement or such other documents duly entered into by or with regard to the Plan that govern such matters.

All acts and determinations of the Plan Administrator shall be duly recorded. All these records, together with other documents necessary for the administration of the Plan, shall be preserved in the Plan Administrator's custody.

Writing (handwriting, typing, printing), photostating, photographing, microfilming, magnetic impulse, mechanical or electrical recording, or other forms of data compilation shall be acceptable means of keeping records.

Any Participant in the Plan or any Beneficiary may examine copies of the Plan description, latest annual report, any bargaining agreement, this Plan, the Annuity Contract, or any other instrument under which the Plan was established or is operated. The Plan Administrator shall maintain all of the items listed in this section in its office, or in such other place or places as it may designate in order to comply with governmental regulations. These items may be examined during reasonable business hours. Upon the written request of a Participant or Beneficiary receiving benefits under the Plan, the Plan Administrator shall furnish him with a copy of any of these items. The Plan Administrator may make a reasonable charge to the requesting person for the copy.

A Claimant must submit any necessary forms and needed information when making a claim for benefits under the Plan.

If a claim for benefits under the Plan is wholly or partially denied, the Plan Administrator shall provide adequate written notice to the Claimant whose claim for benefits under the Plan has been denied. The notice must be furnished within 90 days of the date that the claim is received by the Plan without regard to whether all of the information necessary to make a benefit determination is received. The Claimant shall be notified in writing within this initial 90-day period if special circumstances require an extension of the time needed to process the claim. The notice shall indicate the special circumstances requiring an extension of time and the date by which the Plan Administrator's decision is expected to be rendered. In no event shall such extension exceed a period of 90 days from the end of the initial 90-day period.

The Plan Administrator's notice to the Claimant shall: (i) specify the reason or reasons for the denial; (ii) reference the specific Plan provisions on which the denial is based; (iii) describe any additional material and information needed for the Claimant to perfect his claim for benefits; (iv) explain why the material and information is needed; and (v) inform the Claimant of the Plan’s appeal procedures and the time limits applicable to such procedures, including a statement of the Claimant’s right to bring a civil action under ERISA section 502(a) following an adverse benefit determination on appeal.

Any appeal made by a Claimant must be made in writing to the Plan Administrator within 60 days after receipt of the Plan Administrator’s notice of denial of benefits. If the Claimant appeals to the Plan Administrator, the Claimant may submit written comments, documents, records, and other information relating to the claim for benefits. The Claimant shall be provided, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents, records, and other information relevant to the Claimant’s claim for benefits. The Plan Administrator shall review the claim taking into account all comments, documents, records, and other information submitted by the Claimant relating to the claim, without regard to whether such information was submitted or considered in the initial benefit determination.

The Plan Administrator shall provide adequate written notice to the Claimant of the Plan’s benefit determination on review. The notice must be furnished within 60 days of the date that the request for review is received by the Plan without regard to whether all of the information necessary to make a benefit determination on review is received. The Claimant shall be notified in writing within this initial 60-day period if special circumstances require an extension of the time needed to process the claim. The notice shall indicate the special circumstances requiring an extension of time and the date by which the Plan Administrator expects to render the determination on review. In no event shall such extension exceed a period of 60 days from the end of the initial 60-day period.

In the event the benefit determination is being made by a committee or board of trustees that hold regularly scheduled meetings at least quarterly, the above paragraph shall not apply. The benefit determination must be made by the date of the meeting of the committee or board that immediately follows the Plan’s receipt of a request for review, unless the request for review is filed within 30 days preceding the date of such meeting. In such case, the benefit determination must be made by the date of the second meeting following the Plan’s receipt of the request for review. The date of the receipt of the request for review shall be determined without regard to whether all of the information necessary to make a benefit determination on review is received. The Claimant shall be notified in writing within this initial period if special circumstances require an extension of the time needed to process the claim. The notice shall indicate the special circumstances requiring an extension of time and the date by which the committee or board expects to render the determination on review. In no event shall such benefit determination be made later than the third meeting of the committee or board following the Plan’s receipt of the request for review. The Plan Administrator shall provide adequate written notice to the Claimant of the Plan’s benefit determination on review as soon as possible, but not later than five days after the benefit determination is made.

If the claim for benefits is wholly or partially denied on review, the Plan Administrator’s notice to the Claimant shall: (i) specify the reason or reasons for the denial; (ii) reference the specific Plan provisions on which the denial is based; (iii) include a statement that the Claimant is entitled to receive, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents, records, and other information relevant to the Claimant’s claim for benefits; and (iv) include a statement of the Claimant’s right to bring a civil action under ERISA section 502(a).

A Claimant may authorize a representative to act on the Claimant’s behalf with respect to a benefit claim or appeal of an adverse benefit determination. Such authorization shall be made by completion of a form furnished for that purpose. In the absence of any contrary direction from the Claimant, all information and notifications to which the Claimant is entitled shall be directed to the authorized representative.

The Plan Administrator shall perform periodic examinations, reviews, or audits of benefit claims to determine whether claims determinations are made in accordance with the governing Plan documents and, where appropriate, Plan provisions have been consistently applied with respect to similarly situated Claimants.

Disability Claim Procedures. In the case of a claim for disability benefits, the above provisions will be modified as provided below.

If a claim for disability benefits under the Plan is wholly or partially denied, the Plan Administrator shall provide adequate written notice to the Claimant whose claim for benefits under the Plan has been denied. The notice must be furnished within 45 days of the date that the claim is received by the Plan without regard to whether all of the information necessary to make a benefit determination is received. The period for furnishing the notice may be extended for up to 30 days if the Plan Administrator both determines an extension is necessary due to matters beyond the control of the Plan and notifies the Claimant in writing within this initial 45-day period. The notice shall indicate the circumstances requiring the extension of time and the date by which the Plan expects to render a decision. If prior to the end of the first 30-day extension period, the Plan Administrator determines that, due to matters beyond the control of the Plan, a decision cannot be rendered within that extension period, the period may be extended for up to an additional 30 days, provided the Plan Administrator notifies the Claimant in writing, within the first 30-day extension period, of the circumstances requiring the extension and the date by which the Plan expects to render a decision. In the case of any extension, the notice of extension shall specifically explain the standards on which entitlement to a benefit is based, the unresolved issues that prevent a decision on the claim, and the additional information needed to resolve those issues. The Claimant shall be afforded at least 45 days within which to provide the specified information.

In the event that a period of time is extended due to a Claimant’s failure to submit information necessary to decide a claim, the period for making the benefit determination shall be tolled from the date on which the notification of the extension is sent to the Claimant until the date on which the Claimant responds to the request for additional information.

The Plan Administrator's notice to the Claimant shall: (i) specify the reason or reasons for the denial; (ii) reference the specific Plan provisions on which the denial is based; (iii) describe any additional material and information needed for the Claimant to perfect his claim for benefits; (iv) explain why the material and information is needed; (v) inform the Claimant of the Plan’s appeal procedures and the time limits applicable to such procedures, including a statement of the Claimant’s right to bring a civil action under ERISA section 502(a) following an adverse benefit determination on appeal; (vi) provide the Claimant with any internal rule, guideline, protocol, or other similar criterion that was relied upon in making the adverse determination or a statement that such rule, guideline, protocol, or other similar criterion was relied upon and a copy will be provided free of charge upon request; and (vii) provide the Claimant with an explanation of any scientific or clinical judgment for the determination if benefit determination is based on a medical necessity or experimental treatment or similar exclusion or limit or a statement that the benefit is based on such an exclusion or limit and such explanation will be provided free of charge.

Any appeal made by a Claimant must be made in writing to the Plan Administrator within 180 days after receipt of the Plan Administrator’s notice of denial of benefits. The Claimant may submit written comments, documents, records, and other information relating to the claim for benefits. The Claimant shall be provided, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents, records, and other information relevant to the Claimant’s claim for benefits. The Plan Administrator shall review the claim taking into account all comments, documents, records, and other information submitted by the Claimant relating to the claim, without regard to whether such information was submitted or considered in the initial benefit determination. The review shall not afford deference to the initial adverse benefit determination and shall be conducted by an appropriate named fiduciary who is neither the individual who made the adverse benefit determination that is the subject of the appeal, nor the subordinate of such individual. If the adverse benefit determination is based in whole or in part on a medical judgment, the appropriate named fiduciary shall consult with a health care professional who has appropriate training and experience in the field of medicine involved in the medical judgment. Such health care professional shall be an individual who is neither an individual who was consulted in connection with the adverse benefit determination that is the subject of the appeal, nor the subordinate of such individual. The Claimant shall be provided with the identity of medical or vocational experts whose advice was obtained on behalf of the Plan in connection with the adverse benefit determination, without regard to whether the advice was relied on.

The Plan Administrator shall provide adequate written notice to the Claimant of the Plan’s benefit determination on review. The notice must be furnished within 45 days of the date that the request for review is received by the Plan without regard to whether all of the information necessary to make a benefit determination on review is received. The Claimant shall be notified in writing within this initial 45-day period if special circumstances require an extension of the time needed to process the claim. The notice shall indicate the special circumstances requiring an extension of time and the date by which the Plan Administrator expects to render the determination on review. In no event shall such extension exceed a period of 45 days from the end of the initial 45-day period.

In the event the benefit determination is being made by a committee or board of trustees that hold regularly scheduled meetings at least quarterly, the above paragraph shall not apply. The benefit determination must be made by the date of the meeting of the committee or board that immediately follows the Plan’s receipt of a request for review, unless the request for review is filed within 30 days preceding the date of such meeting. In such case, the benefit determination must be made by the date of the second meeting following the Plan’s receipt of the request for review. The date of the receipt of the request for review shall be determined without regard to whether all of the information necessary to make a benefit determination on review is received. The Claimant shall be notified in writing within this initial period if special circumstances require an extension of the time needed to process the claim. The notice shall indicate the special circumstances requiring an extension of time and the date by which the committee or board expects to render the determination on review. In no event shall such benefit determination be made later than the third meeting of the committee or board following the Plan’s receipt of the request for review. The Plan Administrator shall provide adequate written notice to the Claimant of the Plan’s benefit determination on review as soon as possible, but not later than five days after the benefit determination is made.

To the extent that a period of time is extended due to a Claimant’s failure to submit information necessary to decide a claim, the period for making the benefit determination on review shall be tolled from the date on which the notification of the extension is sent to the Claimant until the date on which the Claimant responds to the request for additional information.

If the claim for disability benefits is wholly or partially denied on review, the Plan Administrator’s notice to the Claimant shall: (i) specify the reason or reasons for the denial; (ii) reference the specific Plan provisions on which the denial is based; (iii) include a statement that the Claimant is entitled to receive, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents, records, and other information relevant to the Claimant’s claim for benefits; (iv) include a statement of the Claimant’s right to bring a civil action under ERISA section 502(a); (v) provide the Claimant with any internal rule, guideline, protocol, or other similar criterion that was relied upon in making the adverse determination or a statement that such rule, guideline, protocol, or other similar criterion was relied upon and a copy will be provided free of charge upon request; (vi) provide the Claimant with an explanation of any scientific or clinical judgment for the determination if benefit determination is based on a medical necessity or experimental treatment or similar exclusion or limit or a statement that the benefit is based on such an exclusion or limit and such explanation will be provided free of charge; and (vii) provide the Claimant with the following statement: You and your plan may have other voluntary alternative dispute resolution options, such as mediation. One way to find out what may be available is to contact your local U.S. Department of Labor Office and your State insurance regulatory agency.

All or any part of the administrative duties and responsibilities under this article may be delegated by the Plan Administrator to a retirement committee. The duties and responsibilities of the retirement committee shall be set out in a separate written agreement.

The Employer, Plan Administrator, and any other person or entity who has authority with respect to the management, administration, or investment of the Plan may exercise that authority in its/his full discretion, subject only to the duties imposed under ERISA. This discretionary authority includes, but is not limited to, the authority to make any and all factual determinations and interpret all terms and provisions of the Plan documents relevant to the issue under consideration. The exercise of authority will be binding upon all persons.

Transactions (including, but not limited to, investment directions, trades, loans, and distributions) shall be processed as soon as administratively practicable after proper directions are received from the Participant or other parties. No guarantee is made by the Plan, Plan Administrator, Trustee, Insurer, or Employer that such transactions will be processed on a daily or other basis, and no guarantee is made in any respect regarding the processing time of such transactions.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Employer, the Plan Administrator, or the Trustee reserves the right to not value an investment option on any given Valuation Date for any reason deemed appropriate by the Employer, the Plan Administrator, or the Trustee.

Administrative practicality will be determined by legitimate business factors (including, but not limited to, failure of systems or computer programs, failure of the means of the transmission of data, force majeure, the failure of a service provider to timely receive values or prices, and correction for errors or omissions or the errors or omissions of any service provider) and in no event will be deemed to be less than 14 days. The processing date of a transaction shall be binding for all purposes of the Plan and considered the applicable Valuation Date for any transaction.

The provisions of this article shall supersede all other provisions in the Plan to the contrary.

For the purpose of applying the Top-heavy Plan requirements of this article, all members of the Controlled Group shall be treated as one Employer. The term Employer, as used in this article, shall be deemed to include all members of the Controlled Group, unless the term as used clearly indicates only the Employer is meant.

The accrued benefit or account of a participant resulting from deductible employee contributions shall not be included for any purpose under this article.

The minimum contribution provisions of the MODIFICATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS SECTION of this article shall not apply to any Employee who is included in a group of Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement that the Secretary of Labor finds to be a collective bargaining agreement between employee representatives and one or more employers, including the Employer, if there is evidence that retirement benefits were the subject of good faith bargaining between such representatives. For this purpose, the term "employee representatives" does not include any organization more than half of whose members are employees who are owners, officers, or executives.

For purposes of this article the following terms are defined:

Aggregation Group means:

The plans in (a) and (b) above constitute the "required" Aggregation Group. The plans in (a), (b), and (c) above constitute the "permissive" Aggregation Group.

Compensation means compensation as defined in the CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION SECTION of Article III.

Determination Date means as to any plan, for any plan year subsequent to the first plan year, the last day of the preceding plan year. For the first plan year of the plan, the Determination Date is the last day of that year.

Key Employee means any Employee or former Employee (including any deceased Employee) who at any time during the Plan Year that includes the Determination Date is:

The determination of who is a Key Employee shall be made according to Code Section 416(i)(1) and the applicable regulations and other guidance of general applicability issued thereunder.

Nonkey Employee means any Employee who is not a Key Employee.

Top-heavy Plan means a plan that is top-heavy for any plan year. This Plan shall be top-heavy if any of the following conditions exist:

Top-heavy Ratio means:

The accrued benefit of a participant other than a Key Employee shall be determined under (i) the method, if any, that uniformly applies for accrual purposes under all defined benefit plans maintained by the Employer, or (ii) if there is no such method, as if such benefit accrued not more rapidly than the slowest accrual rate permitted under the fractional rule of Code Section 411(b)(1)(C).

During any Plan Year in which this Plan is a Top-heavy Plan, the Employer shall make a minimum contribution as of the last day of the Plan Year for each Nonkey Employee who is an Employee on the last day of the Plan Year and who was an Active Participant at any time during the Plan Year. A Nonkey Employee is not required to have a minimum number of Hours of Service or minimum amount of Compensation in order to be entitled to this minimum. A Nonkey Employee who fails to be an Active Participant merely because his Compensation is less than a stated amount or merely because of a failure to make mandatory participant contributions or, in the case of a cash or deferred arrangement, elective contributions shall be treated as if he were an Active Participant. The minimum is the lesser of (a) or (b) below:

For purposes of (a) and (b) above, Compensation shall be limited by Code Section 401(a)(17).

If the Employer's contributions and allocations otherwise required under the defined contribution plan(s) are at least equal to the minimum above, no additional contribution shall be required. If the Employer's total contributions and allocations are less than the minimum above, the Employer shall contribute the difference for the Plan Year.

The minimum contribution applies to all of the Employer's defined contribution plans in the aggregate which are Top-heavy Plans. A minimum contribution under a profit sharing plan shall be made without regard to whether or not the Employer has profits.

If a person who is otherwise entitled to a minimum contribution above is also covered under another defined contribution plan of the Employer’s which is a Top-heavy Plan during that same Plan Year, any additional contribution required to meet the minimum above shall be provided in this Plan.

If a person who is otherwise entitled to a minimum contribution above is also covered under a defined benefit plan of the Employer's that is within the Aggregation Group and this Plan is a Top-heavy Plan during that same Plan Year, the minimum benefits for him shall not be duplicated. The defined benefit plan shall provide an annual benefit for him on, or adjusted to, a straight life basis equal to the lesser of:

Average compensation and years of service shall have the meaning set forth in such defined benefit plan for this purpose.

For purposes of this section, any employer contribution made according to a salary reduction or similar arrangement shall not apply in determining if the minimum contribution requirement has been met, but shall apply in determining the minimum contribution required. Matching contributions, as defined in Code Section 401(m), shall be taken into account for purposes of satisfying the minimum contribution requirements of Code Section 416(c)(2) and the Plan. Matching contributions that are used to satisfy the minimum contribution requirements shall be treated as matching contributions for purposes of the actual contribution percentage test and other requirements of Code Section 401(m).

The requirements of this section shall be met without regard to any Social Security contribution.