Exhibit 10.1
TIMBERLAND SAVINGS BANK, SSB
EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN
Effective as of October 1, 1997
TIMBERLAND SAVINGS BANK, SSB
EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PREAMBLE..................................................................... 1
ARTICLE I
DEFINITION OF TERMS AND CONSTRUCTION
1.1 Definitions............................................................. 2
1.2 Plurals and Gender...................................................... 7
1.3 Incorporation of Trust Agreement........................................ 7
1.4 Headings................................................................ 7
1.5 Severability............................................................ 8
1.6 References to Governmental Regulations.................................. 8
ARTICLE II
PARTICIPATION
2.1 Commencement of Participation........................................... 9
2.2 Termination of Participation............................................ 9
2.3 Resumption of Participation............................................. 9
2.4 Determination of Eligibility............................................ 10
ARTICLE III
CREDITED SERVICE
3.1 Service Counted for Eligibility Purposes................................ 11
3.2 Service Counted for Vesting Purposes.................................... 11
3.3 Credit for Pre-Break Service............................................ 11
3.4 Service Credit During Authorized Leaves................................. 11
3.5 Service Credit During Maternity or Paternity Leave...................... 12
3.6 Ineligible Employees.................................................... 12
ARTICLE IV
CONTRIBUTIONS
4.1 Employee Stock Ownership Contributions.................................. 13
4.2 Time and Manner of Employee Stock Ownership Contributions............... 13
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4.3 Records of Contributions............................................... 14
4.4 Erroneous Contributions................................................ 14
ARTICLE V
ACCOUNTS, ALLOCATIONS AND INVESTMENTS
5.1 Establishment of Separate Participant Accounts......................... 15
5.2 Establishment of Suspense Account...................................... 15
5.3 Allocation of Earnings, Losses and Expenses............................ 16
5.4 Allocation of Forfeitures.............................................. 16
5.5 Allocation of Annual Employee Stock Ownership Contributions............ 16
5.6 Limitation on Annual Additions......................................... 17
5.7 Erroneous Allocations.................................................. 20
5.8 Value of Participant's Interest in Fund................................ 21
5.9 Investment of Account Balances......................................... 21
ARTICLE VI
RETIREMENT, DEATH AND DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY
6.1 Normal Retirement...................................................... 22
6.2 Early Retirement....................................................... 22
6.3 Disability Retirement.................................................. 22
6.4 Death Benefits......................................................... 22
6.5 Designation of Death Beneficiary and Manner of Payment................. 23
ARTICLE VII
VESTING AND FORFEITURES
7.1 Vesting on Death, Disability, Retirement, Change in Control............ 24
7.2 Vesting on Termination of Participation................................ 24
7.3 Disposition of Forfeitures............................................. 25
ARTICLE VIII
EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP RULES
8.1 Right to Demand Employer Securities.................................... 26
8.2 Voting Rights.......................................................... 26
8.3 Nondiscrimination in Employee Stock Ownership Contributions............ 26
8.4 Dividends.............................................................. 27
8.5 Exempt Loans........................................................... 27
8.6 Exempt Loan Payments................................................... 28
8.7 Put Option............................................................. 29
8.8 Diversification Requirements........................................... 30
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8.9 Independent Appraiser................................................. 30
8.10 Limitation on Allocation.............................................. 30
ARTICLE IX
PAYMENTS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
9.1 Payments on Termination of Service -- In General...................... 32
9.2 Commencement of Payments.............................................. 32
9.3 Mandatory Commencement of Benefits.................................... 32
9.4 Required Beginning Date............................................... 35
9.5 Form of Payment....................................................... 35
9.6 Payments Upon Termination of Plan..................................... 35
9.7 Distribution Pursuant to Qualified Domestic Relations Orders.......... 36
9.8 Cash-Out Distributions................................................ 36
9.9 ESOP Distribution Rule................................................ 37
9.10 Withholding........................................................... 37
9.11 Waiver of 30-day Notice............................................... 38
ARTICLE X
PROVISIONS RELATING TO TOP-HEAVY PLANS
10.1 Top-Heavy Rules to Control............................................ 39
10.2 Top-Heavy Plan Definitions............................................ 39
10.3 Calculation of Accrued Benefits....................................... 41
10.4 Determination of Top-Heavy Status..................................... 42
10.5 Determination of Super Top-Heavy Status............................... 43
10.6 Minimum Contribution.................................................. 43
10.7 Maximum Benefit Limitation............................................ 44
10.8 Vesting............................................................... 44
ARTICLE XI
ADMINISTRATION
11.1 Appointment of Administrator.......................................... 45
11.2 Resignation or Removal of Administrator............................... 45
11.3 Appointment of Successors: Terms of Office, Etc....................... 45
11.4 Powers and Duties of Administrator.................................... 45
11.5 Action by Administrator............................................... 46
11.6 Participation by Administrators....................................... 47
11.7 Agents................................................................ 47
11.8 Allocation of Duties.................................................. 47
11.9 Delegation of Duties.................................................. 47
11.10 Administrator's Action Conclusive..................................... 47
11.11 Compensation and Expenses of Administrator............................ 47
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11.12 Records and Reports.................................................. 48
11.13 Reports of Fund Open to Participants................................. 48
11.14 Named Fiduciary...................................................... 48
11.15 Information from Employer............................................ 48
11.16 Reservation of Rights by Employer.................................... 48
11.17 Liability and Indemnification........................................ 49
11.18 Service as Trustee and Administrator................................. 49
ARTICLE XII
CLAIMS PROCEDURE
12.1 Notice of Denial...................................................... 50
12.2 Right to Reconsideration.............................................. 50
12.3 Review of Documents................................................... 50
12.4 Decision by Administrator............................................. 50
12.5 Notice by Administrator............................................... 50
ARTICLE XIII
AMENDMENTS, TERMINATION AND MERGER
13.1 Amendments............................................................ 51
13.2 Consolidation, Merger or Other Transactions of Employer............... 51
13.3 Consolidation or Merger of Trust...................................... 52
13.4 Bankruptcy or Insolvency of Employer.................................. 52
13.5 Voluntary Termination................................................. 53
13.6 Partial Termination of Plan or Permanent Discontinuance of
Contributions........................................................ 53
ARTICLE XIV
MISCELLANEOUS
14.1 No Diversion of Funds................................................. 54
14.2 Liability Limited..................................................... 54
14.3 Incapacity............................................................ 54
14.4 Spendthrift Clause.................................................... 54
14.5 Benefits Limited to Fund.............................................. 55
14.6 Cooperation of Parties................................................ 55
14.7 Payments Due Missing Persons.......................................... 55
14.8 Governing Law......................................................... 55
14.9 Nonguarantee of Employment............................................ 55
14.10 Counsel............................................................... 56
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Timberland Savings Bank, SSB
EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN
PREAMBLE
Effective as of October 1, 1997, Timberland Savings Bank, SSB (the
"Sponsor"), a Washington chartered stock savings bank (the "Sponsor"), has
adopted the Timberland Savings Bank, SSB Employee Stock Ownership Plan in order
to enable Participants to share in the growth and prosperity of the Sponsor, and
to provide Participants with an opportunity to accumulate capital for their
future economic security by accumulating funds to provide retirement, death and
disability benefits. The Plan is a stock bonus plan designed to meet the
requirements of an employee stock ownership plan as described at Section
4975(e)(7) of the Code and Section 407(d)(6) of ERISA. The primary purpose of
the employee stock ownership plan is to invest in employer securities. The
Sponsor intends that the Plan will qualify under Sections 401(a) and 501(a) of
the Code and will comply with the provisions of ERISA.
The terms of this Plan shall apply only with respect to Employees of the
Employer on and after October 1, 1997.
ARTICLE I
DEFINITION OF TERMS AND CONSTRUCTION
1.1 Definitions.
Unless a different meaning is plainly implied by the context, the following
terms as used in this Plan shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Act" shall mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974,
as amended from time to time, or any successor statute.
(b) "Administrator" shall mean the administrative committee provided for in
Article XI.
(c) "Annual Additions" shall mean, with respect to each Participant, the
sum of those amounts allocated to the Participant's accounts under this Plan and
under any other qualified defined contribution plan to which the Employer
contributes for any Limitation Year, consisting of the following:
(1) Employer contributions;
(2) Forfeitures; and
(3) Voluntary contributions (if any).
(d) "Authorized Leave of Absence" shall mean an absence from Service with
respect to which the Employee may or may not be entitled to Compensation and
which meets any one of the following requirements:
(1) Service in any of the armed forces of the United States for up to
36 months, provided that the Employee resumes Service within 90
days after discharge, or such longer period of time during which
such Employee's employment rights are protected by law; or
(2) Any other absence or leave expressly approved and granted by the
Employer which does not exceed 24 months, provided that the
Employee resumes Service at or before the end of such approved
leave period. In approving such leaves of absence, the Employer
shall treat all Employees on a uniform and nondiscriminatory
basis.
(e) "Beneficiary" shall mean such persons as may be designated by the
Participant to receive benefits after the death of the Participant, or such
persons designated by the Administrator to receive benefits after the death of
the Participant, all as provided in Section 6.5.
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(f) "Board of Directors" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Sponsor.
(g) "Break" shall mean a Plan Year during which an Employee fails to
complete more than 500 Hours of Service.
(h) "Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from
time to time, or any successor statute.
(i) "Compensation" shall mean the amount of remuneration paid to an
Employee by the Employer, after the date on which the Employee becomes a
Participant, for services rendered to the Employer during a Plan Year, including
base salary, bonuses, overtime and commissions, and any amount of compensation
contributed pursuant to a salary reduction election under Code Section 401(k)
and any amount of compensation contributed to a cafeteria plan described at
Section 125 of the Code, but excluding amounts paid by the Employer or accrued
with respect to this Plan or any other qualified or non-qualified unfunded plan
of deferred compensation or other employee welfare plan to which the Employer
contributes, payments for group insurance, medical benefits, reimbursement for
expenses, and other forms of extraordinary pay, and excluding amounts accrued
for a prior year.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of complying with Code Section
415, a Participant's contributions to a 401(k) Plan and cafeteria plan shall not
be included in the Participant's compensation. Notwithstanding anything herein
to the contrary, the annual Compensation of each Participant taken into account
under the Plan for any Plan Year shall not exceed $150,000, as adjusted from
time to time in accordance with Section 417 of the Code.
(j) "Date of Hire" shall mean the date on which a person shall perform his
first Hour of Service. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event a person
incurs one or more consecutive Breaks after his initial Date of Hire which
results in the forfeiture of his pre-Break Service pursuant to Section 3.3, his
"Date of Hire" shall thereafter be the date on which he completes his first Hour
of Service after such Break or Breaks.
(k) "Disability" shall mean a physical or mental impairment which prohibits
a Participant from engaging in any occupation for wages or profit and which has
caused the Social Security Administration to classify the individual as
"disabled" for purposes of Social Security.
(l) "Disability Retirement Date" shall mean the first day of the month
after which a Participant incurs a Disability.
(m) "Early Retirement Date" shall mean the first day of the month
coincident with or next following the date on which a Participant attains age 55
and completes ten (10) Years of Service.
(n) "Effective Date" shall mean October 1, 1997.
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(o) "Eligibility Period" shall mean the period of 12 consecutive months
commencing on an Employee's Date of Hire.
(p) "Employee" shall mean any person employed by the Employer, including
officers but excluding directors in their capacity as such; provided, however,
that the term "Employee" shall not include leased employees, employees regularly
employed outside the employer's own offices in connection with the operation and
maintenance of buildings or other properties acquired through foreclosure or
deed, and any employee included in a unit of employees covered by a collective-
bargaining agreement with the Employer that does not expressly provide for
participation of such employees in this Plan, where there has been good-faith
bargaining between the Employer and employees' representatives on the subject of
retirement benefits.
(q) "Employer" shall mean Timberland Savings Bank, SSB, a Washington
chartered stock savings bank, or any successors to the aforesaid by merger,
consolidation or otherwise, which may agree to continue this Plan, or any
affiliated or subsidiary corporation or business organization of any Employer
which, with the consent of the Sponsor, shall agree to become a party to this
Plan.
(r) "Employer Securities" shall mean the common stock issued by Timberland
Bancorp, Inc., a Washington corporation, or any employer security within the
meaning of Section 4975(c)(8) of the Code and Section 407(d)(1) of ERISA.
(s) "Entry Date" shall mean October 1 and April 1 of each Plan Year.
(t) "Exempt Loan" shall mean a loan described at Section 4975(d)(1) of the
Code to the Trustee to purchase Employer Securities for the Plan, made or
guaranteed by a disqualified person, as defined at Section 4975(e)(2) of the
Code, including, but not limited to, a direct loan of cash, a purchase money
transaction, an assumption of an obligation of the Trustee, an unsecured
guarantee or the use of assets of such disqualified person as collateral for
such a loan.
(u) "Former Participant" shall mean any previous Participant whose
participation has terminated but who has a vested interest in the Plan which has
not been distributed in full.
(v) "Fund" shall mean the Fund maintained by the Trustee pursuant to the
Trust Agreement in order to provide for the payment of the benefits specified in
the Plan.
(w) "Hour of Service" shall mean each hour for which an Employee is
directly or indirectly paid or entitled to payment by an Employer for the
performance of duties or for reasons other than the performance of duties (such
as vacation time, holidays, sickness, disability, paid lay-offs, jury duty and
similar periods of paid nonworking time). To the extent not otherwise included,
Hours of Service shall also include each hour for which back pay, irrespective
of mitigation of damages, is either awarded or agreed to by the Employer. Hours
of working time shall be credited on the basis of actual hours worked, even
though compensated at a premium rate for overtime or other reasons. In
computing and crediting Hours of Service for an
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Employee under this Plan, the rules set forth in Sections 2530.200b-2(b) and (c)
of the Department of Labor Regulations shall apply, said Sections being herein
incorporated by reference. Hours of Service shall be credited to the Plan Year
or other relevant period during which the services were performed or the
nonworking time occurred, regardless of the time when Compensation therefor may
be paid. Any Employee for whom no hourly employment records are kept by the
Employer shall be credited with 45 Hours of Service for each calendar week in
which he would have been credited with a least one Hour or Service under the
foregoing provisions, if hourly records were available. Solely for purposes of
determining whether a Break for participation and vesting purposes has occurred
in an Eligibility Period or Plan Year, an individual who is absent from work for
maternity or paternity reasons shall receive credit for the Hours of Service
which would otherwise have been credited to such individual but for such
absence, or in any case in which such hours cannot be determined, eight Hours of
Service per day of such absence. For purposes of this Section 1.1(w), an
absence from work for maternity or paternity reasons means an absence (1) by
reason of the pregnancy of the individual, (2) by reason of a birth of a child
of the individual, (3) by reason of the placement of a child with the individual
in connection with the adoption of such child by such individual, or (4) for
purposes of caring for such child for a period beginning immediately following
such birth or placement. The Hours of Service credited under this provision
shall be credited (1) in the computation period in which the absence begins if
the crediting is necessary to prevent a Break in that period, or (2) in all
other cases, in the following computation period.
(x) "Investment Adjustments" shall mean the increases and/or decreases in
the value of a Participant's accounts attributable to earnings, gains, losses
and expenses of the Fund, as set forth in Section 5.3.
(y) "Limitation Year" shall mean the Plan Year.
(z) "Normal Retirement Date" shall mean the first day of the month
coincident with or during which a Participant attains age 65.
(aa) "Participant" shall mean an Employee who has met all of the
eligibility requirements of the Plan and who is currently included in the Plan
as provided in Article II hereof.
(bb) "Plan" shall mean the Timberland Savings Bank, SSB Employee Stock
Ownership Plan, as described herein or as hereafter amended from time to time.
(cc) "Plan Year" shall mean any 12 consecutive month period commencing on
October 1 and ending on September 30.
(dd) "Qualified Domestic Relations Order" shall mean any judgment, decree
or order (including approval of a property settlement agreement) that relates to
the provision of child support, alimony, marital property rights to a spouse,
former spouse, child or other dependent of the Participant (all such persons
hereinafter termed "alternate payee") and is made pursuant to a State domestic
relations law (including community property law) and, further, that creates or
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recognizes the existence of an alternate payee's right to, or assigns to an
alternate payee the right to receive all or a portion of the benefits payable
with respect to a Participant and that clearly specifies the following:
(1) the name and last known mailing address (if available) of the
Participant and the name and mailing address of each alternate payee
to which the order relates;
(2) the amount or percentage of the Participant's benefits to be paid to
an alternate payee or the manner in which the amount is to be
determined; and
(3) the number of payments or period for which payments are required.
A domestic relations order is not a Qualified Domestic Relations Order if
it:
(1) requires the Plan to provide any type or form of benefit or any option
not otherwise provided under the Plan; or,
(2) requires the Plan to provide increased benefits; or
(3) requires payment of benefits to an alternate payee that is required to
be paid to another alternate payee under a previously existing
Qualified Domestic Relations Order.
(ee) "Retirement" shall mean termination of employment which qualifies as
early, normal or Disability retirement as described in Article VI.
(ff) "Service" shall mean employment with the Employer.
(gg) "Sponsor" shall mean Timberland Savings Bank, SSB, a Washington
chartered stock savings bank.
(hh) "Trust Agreement" shall mean the agreement, the Sponsor and the
Trustee (or any successor Trustee governing the administration of the Trust as
it may be amended from time to time.
(ii) "Trustee" shall mean the Trustee or Trustees by whom the assets of the
Plan are held, as provided in the Trust Agreement, or his or their successors.
(jj) "Valuation Date" shall mean the last day of each Plan Year. The
Trustee may make additional valuations, at the instruction of the Administrator,
but in no event may the Administrator request additional valuations by the
Trustee more frequently than quarterly.
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Whenever such date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, the preceding
business day shall be the Valuation Date.
(kk) "Year of Service" shall mean any Plan Year during which an Employee
has completed at least 1,000 Hours of Service. Except as otherwise specified in
Article III, in the determination of Years of Service for eligibility and
vesting purposes under this Plan, the term "Year of Service" shall also mean any
Plan Year during which an Employee has completed at least 1,000 Hours of Service
with an entity that is:
(1) a member of a controlled group including the Employer, while it is a
member of such controlled group (within the meaning of Section 414(b)
of the Code);
(2) in a group of trades or businesses under common control with the
Employer, while it is under common control (within the meaning of
Section 414(c) of the Code);
(3) a member of an affiliated service group including the Employer, while
it is a member of such affiliated service group (within the meaning of
Section 414(m) of the Code); or
(4) a leasing organization, under the circumstances described in Section
414(n) of the Code.
1.2 Plurals and Gender.
Where appearing in the Plan and the Trust Agreement, the masculine gender
shall include the feminine and neuter genders, and the singular shall include
the plural, and vice versa, unless the context clearly indicates a different
meaning.
1.3 Incorporation of Trust Agreement.
The Trust Agreement, as the same may be amended from time to time, is
intended to be and hereby is incorporated by reference into this Plan and for
all purposes shall be deemed a part of the Plan.
1.4 Headings.
The headings and sub-headings in this Plan are inserted for the convenience
of reference only and are to be ignored in any construction of the provisions
hereof.
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1.5 Severability.
In case any provision of this Plan shall be held illegal or void, such
illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions of this Plan,
but shall be fully severable, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if
said illegal or invalid provisions had never been inserted herein.
1.6 References to Governmental Regulations.
References in this Plan to regulations issued by the Internal Revenue
Service, the Department of Labor, or other governmental agencies shall include
all regulations, rulings, procedures, releases and other position statements
issued by any such agency.
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ARTICLE II
PARTICIPATION
2.1 Commencement of Participation.
(a) Any Employee who completes at least 1,000 Hours of Service during his
Eligibility Period or during any Plan Year beginning after his Date of Hire
shall initially become a Participant on the Entry Date coincident with or next
following the later of the following dates, provided he is employed by the
Employer on that Entry Date:
(1) The date which is 12 months after his Date of Hire; and
(2) The date on which he attains age 21.
(b) Any Employee who had satisfied the requirements set forth in Section
2.1(a) during the 12-month period prior to the Effective Date shall become a
Participant on the Effective Date, provided he is still employed by the Employer
on the Effective Date.
2.2 Termination of Participation.
After commencement or resumption of his participation, an Employee shall
remain a Participant during each consecutive Plan Year thereafter until the
earliest of the following dates:
(a) His actual Retirement date;
(b) His date of death; or
(c) The last day of a Plan Year during which he incurs a Break.
2.3 Resumption of Participation
(a) Any Participant whose employment terminates and who resumes Service
before he incurs a Break shall resume participation immediately on the date he
is reemployed.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.3(c), any Participant who
incurs one or more Breaks and resumes Service shall resume participation
retroactively as of the first day of the first Plan Year in which he completes a
Year of Service after such Break(s).
(c) Any Participant who incurs one or more Breaks and resumes Service, but
whose pre-Break Service is not reinstated to his credit pursuant to Section 3.3,
shall be treated as a new Employee and shall again be required to satisfy the
eligibility requirements contained in Section 2.1 before resuming participation
on the appropriate Entry Date, as specified in Section 2.1.
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2.4 Determination of Eligibility.
The Administrator shall determine the eligibility of Employees in
accordance with the provisions of this Article. For each Plan Year, the Employer
shall furnish the Administrator a list of all Employees, indicating the original
date of their reemployment with the Employer and any Breaks they may have
incurred.
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ARTICLE III
CREDITED SERVICE
3.1 Service Counted for Eligibility Purposes.
Except as provided in Section 3.3, all Service completed by an Employee
shall be counted in determining his eligibility to become a Participant on and
after the Effective Date, whether such Service was completed before or after the
Effective Date.
3.2 Service Counted for Vesting Purposes.
All Years of Service completed by an Employee (including Years of Service
completed prior to the Effective Date) shall be counted in determining his
vested interest in this Plan, except the following:
(a) Service which is disregarded under the provisions of Section 3.3; and
(b) Service prior to the Effective Date of this Plan if such Service would
have been disregarded under the "break in service" rules (within the meaning of
Section 1.411(a)-5(b)(6) of the Treasury Regulations).
3.3 Credit for Pre-Break Service.
Upon his resumption of participation following one or a series of
consecutive Breaks, an Employee's pre-Break Service shall be reinstated to his
credit for all purposes of this Plan only if either:
(a) He was vested in any portion of his accrued benefit at the time the
Break(s) began; or
(b) The number of his consecutive Breaks does not equal or exceed the
greater of five or the number of his Years of Service credited to him before the
Breaks began.
Except as provided in the foregoing, none of an Employee's Service prior to
one or a series of consecutive Breaks shall be counted for any purpose in
connection with his participation in this Plan thereafter.
3.4 Service Credit During Authorized Leaves.
An Employee shall receive no Service credit under Section 3.1 or 3.2 during
any Authorized Leave of Absence. However, solely for the purpose of determining
whether he has incurred a Break during any Plan Year in which he is absent from
Service for one or more Authorized Leaves of Absence, he shall be credited with
45 Hours of Service for each week
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during any such leave period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Employee
fails to return to Service on or before the end of a leave period, he shall be
deemed to have terminated Service as of the first day of such leave period and
his credit for Hours of Service, determined under this Section 3.4, shall be
revoked. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, an Employee
who is absent by reason of military service as set forth in Section 1.1(d)(1)
shall be given Service credit under this Plan for such military leave period to
the extent, and for all purposes, required by law.
3.5 Service Credit During Maternity or Paternity Leave.
For purposes of determining whether a Break has occurred for participation
and vesting purposes, an individual who is on maternity or paternity leave as
described in Section 1.1(w), shall be deemed to have completed Hours of Service
during such period of absence, all in accordance with Section 1.1(w).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no credit shall be given for such Hours of
Service unless the individual furnishes to the Administrator such timely
information as the Administrator may reasonably require to determine:
(a) that the absence from Service was attributable to one of the maternity
or paternity reasons enumerated in Section 1.1(w); and
(b) the number of days for which such absence lasted.
In no event, however, shall any credit be given for such leave other than
for determining whether a Break has occurred.
3.6 Ineligible Employees.
Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan to the contrary, any person who
is employed by the Employer, but who is ineligible to participate in this Plan,
either because of his failure:
(a) To meet the eligibility requirements contained in Article II; or
(b) To be an Employee, as defined in Section 1.1(p), shall, nevertheless,
earn Years of Service for eligibility and vesting purposes pursuant to the rules
contained in this Article III. However, such a person shall not be entitled to
receive any contributions hereunder unless and until he becomes a Participant in
this Plan, and then, only during his period of participation.
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ARTICLE IV
CONTRIBUTIONS
4.1 Employee Stock Ownership Contributions.
(a) Subject to all of the provisions of this Article IV, for each Plan Year
commencing on or after the Effective Date, the Employer shall make an Employee
Stock Ownership contribution to the Fund, in such amount as may be determined by
the Board of Directors in its discretion. Such contribution shall be in the
form of cash or Employer Securities. In determining the value of Employer
Securities transferred to the Fund as an Employee Stock Ownership contribution,
the Administrator may determine the average of closing prices of such securities
for a period of up to 90 consecutive days immediately preceding the date on
which the securities are contributed to the Fund. In the event that the
Employer Securities are not readily tradable on an established securities
market, the value of the Employer Securities transferred to the Fund shall be
determined by an independent appraiser in accordance with Section 8.9.
(b) In no event shall such contribution by the Employer exceed for any Plan
Year the maximum amount that may be deducted by the Employer under Section 404
of the Code, nor shall such contribution cause the Employer to violate its
regulatory capital requirements. Each Employee Stock Ownership contribution by
the Employer shall be deemed to be made on the express condition that the Plan,
as then in effect, shall be qualified under Sections 401 and 501 of the Code and
that the amount of such contribution shall be deductible from the Employer's
income under Section 404 of the Code.
4.2 Time and Manner of Employee Stock Ownership Contributions.
(a) The Employee Stock Ownership contribution (if any) for each Plan Year
shall be paid to the Trustee in one lump sum or installments at any time on or
before the expiration of the time prescribed by law (including any extensions)
for filing of the Employer's federal income tax return for its fiscal year
ending concurrent with or during such Plan Year. Any portion of the Employee
Stock Ownership contribution for each Plan Year that may be made prior to the
last day of the Plan Year shall be maintained by the Trustee in the Employee
Stock Ownership suspense account described in Section 5.2 until the last day of
such Plan Year.
(b) If an Employee Stock Ownership contribution for a Plan Year is paid
after the close of the Employer's fiscal year which ends concurrent with or
during such Plan Year but on or prior to the due date (including any extensions)
for filing of the Employer's federal income tax return for such fiscal year, it
shall be considered, for allocation purposes, as an Employee Stock Ownership
contribution to the Fund for the Plan Year for which it was computed and
accrued, unless such contribution is accompanied by a statement to the Trustee,
signed by a representative of the Employer, which specifies that the Employee
Stock Ownership contribution is made with respect to the Plan Year in which it
is received by the Trustee. Any Employee Stock Ownership contribution paid by
the Employer during any Plan Year but after the due date (including any
extensions) for filing of its federal income tax return for the fiscal year of
the Employer ending
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on or before the last day of the preceding Plan Year shall be treated, for
allocation purposes, as an Employee Stock Ownership contribution to the Fund for
the Plan Year in which the contribution is paid to the Trustee.
(c) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, no Employee
Stock Ownership contribution shall be made for any year during which a
"limitations account" created pursuant to Section 5.6(c)(2) is in existence
until the balance of such limitations account has been reallocated in accordance
with Section 5.6(c)(2).
4.3 Records of Contributions.
The Employer shall deliver at least annually to the Trustee, with respect
to the contributions contemplated in Section 4.1, a certificate of the
Administrator, in such form as the Trustee shall approve, setting forth:
(a) The aggregate amount of contributions, if any, to the Fund for such
Plan Year;
(b) The names, Internal Revenue Service identifying numbers and current
residential addresses of all Participants in the Plan;
(c) The amount and category of contributions to be allocated to each such
Participant; and
(d) Any other information reasonably required for the proper operation of
the Plan.
4.4 Erroneous Contributions.
(a) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, upon the Employer's
request, a contribution which was made by a mistake of fact, or conditioned upon
the initial qualification of the Plan, under Code Section 401, or upon the
deductibility of the contribution under Section 404 of the Code, shall be
returned to the Employer by the Trustee within one year after the payment of the
contribution, the denial of the qualification or the disallowance of the
deduction (to the extent disallowed), whichever is applicable; provided,
however, that in the case of denial of the initial qualification of the Plan, a
contribution shall not be returned unless an Application for Determination has
been timely filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Any portion of a
contribution returned pursuant to this Section 4.4 shall be adjusted to reflect
its proportionate share of the losses of the fund, but shall not be adjusted to
reflect any earnings or gains. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan to
the contrary, the right or claim of any Participant or Beneficiary to any asset
of the Fund or any benefit under this Plan shall be subject to and limited by
this Section 4.4.
(b) In no event shall voluntary Employee contributions be accepted. Any
such voluntary Employee contributions (and any earnings attributable thereto)
mistakenly received by the Trustee shall promptly be returned to the
Participant.
14
ARTICLE V
ACCOUNTS, ALLOCATIONS AND INVESTMENTS
5.1 Establishment of Separate Participant Accounts.
The Administrator shall establish and maintain separate individual accounts
for Participants in the Plan and for each Former Participant in accordance with
the provisions of this Article V. Such separate accounts shall be for
accounting purposes only and shall not require a segregation of the Fund, and no
Participant, Former Participant or Beneficiary shall acquire any right to or
interest in any specific assets of the Fund as a result of the allocations
provided for under this Plan, except where segregation is expressly provided for
in this Plan.
(a) Employee Stock Ownership Accounts.
The Administrator shall establish a separate Employee Stock Ownership
Account in the Fund for each Participant. The account shall be credited as of
the last day of each Plan Year with the amounts allocated to the Participant
under Sections 5.4 and 5.5. The Administrator may establish subaccounts
hereunder, including an Employer Stock Account reflecting a Participant's
interest in Employer Securities held by the Trust and an Other Investments
Account reflecting the Participant's interest in his Employee Stock Ownership
Account other than Employer Securities.
(b) Distribution Accounts.
In any case where distribution of a terminated Participant's vested
interest in the Plan is to be deferred, the Administrator shall establish a
separate, nonforfeitable account in the Fund to which the balance in his
Employee Stock Ownership Account in the Plan shall be transferred after such
Participant incurs a Break. Unless the Former Participant's distribution
accounts are segregated for investment purposes pursuant to section 9.4, they
shall share in Investment Adjustments.
(c) Other Accounts.
The Administrator shall establish such other separate accounts for each
Participant as may be necessary or desirable for the convenient administration
of the Fund.
5.2 Establishment of Suspense Accounts.
The Administrator shall establish separate accounts to be known as
"suspense accounts." There shall be credited to such appropriate suspense
accounts any Employee Stock Ownership contributions that may be made prior to
the last day of the Plan Year, as provided in Section 4.2. The suspense accounts
shall share proportionately as to time and amount in any Investment Adjustments.
As of the last day of each Plan Year, the balance of the Employee Stock
15
Ownership suspense account shall be added to the Employee Stock Ownership
contribution and allocated to the Employee Stock Ownership Accounts of
Participants as provided in Section 5.5, except as provided herein. In the
event that the Plan takes an Exempt Loan, the Employer Securities purchased
thereby shall be allocated to a separate Exempt Loan Suspense Account, from
which allocations shall be made in accordance with Section 8.5.
5.3 Allocation of Earnings, Losses and Expenses.
As of each Valuation Date, any increase or decrease in the net worth of the
aggregate Employee Stock Ownership Accounts held in the Fund attributable to
earnings, losses, expenses and unrealized appreciation or depreciation in each
such aggregate Account, as determined by the Trustee pursuant to the Trust
Agreement, shall be credited to or deducted from the appropriate suspense
accounts and all Participants' Employee Stock Ownership Accounts (except
segregated distribution accounts described in Section 5.1(b) and the
"limitations account" described in Section 5.6(c)(4)) in the proportion that the
value of each such Account (determined immediately prior to such allocation and
before crediting any Employee Stock Ownership contributions and forfeitures for
the current Plan Year but after adjustment for any transfer to or from such
Accounts and for the time such funds were in such Accounts) bears to the value
of all Employee Stock Ownership Accounts.
5.4 Allocation of Forfeitures.
As of the last day of each Plan Year, all forfeitures attributable to the
Employee Stock Ownership Accounts which are then available for reallocation
shall be, as appropriate, added to the Employee Stock Ownership contribution (if
any) for such year and allocated among the Participants' Employee Stock
Ownership Accounts, as appropriate, in the manner provided in Sections 5.5 and
5.6.
5.5 Allocation of Annual Employee Stock Ownership Contributions.
As of the last day of each Plan Year for which the Employer shall make an
Employee Stock Ownership contribution, the Administrator shall allocate the
Employee Stock Ownership contribution (including reallocable forfeitures) for
such Plan Year to the Employee Stock Ownership account of each Participant who
completed at least 1,000 Hours of Service during that Plan Year, provided that
he is still employed by the Employer on the last day of the Plan Year. Such
allocation shall be made in the same proportion that each such Participant's
Compensation for such Plan Year bears to the total Compensation of all such
Participants for such Plan Year, subject to Section 5.6. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if a Participant attains his Normal Retirement Date and terminates
Service prior to the last day of the Plan Year, or terminates Service by reason
of is death or Disability, he shall be entitled to an allocation based on his
Compensation earned prior to his termination and during the Plan Year.
Furthermore, if a Participant completes 1,000 Hours of Service and is on a Leave
of Absence on the last day of the Plan Year because of pregnancy or other
medical reason, such a Participant shall be entitled to an allocation based on
his Compensation earned during such Plan Year.
16
5.6 Limitation on Annual Additions.
(a) Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan to the contrary, the total
Annual Additions credited to a Participant's accounts under this Plan (and under
any other defined contribution plan to which the Employer contributes) for any
Limitation Year shall not exceed the lesser of:
(1) 25% of the Participant's compensation for such Limitation Year; or
(2) $30,000 (or, if greater, one-fourth of the defined benefit dollar
limitation set forth in Section 415(b)(1)(A) of the Code). Whenever
otherwise allowed by law, the maximum amount of $30,000 shall be
automatically adjusted annually for cost-of-living increases in
accordance with Section 415(d) of the Code and the highest such
increase effective at any time during the Limitation Year shall be
effective for the entire Limitation Year, without any amendment to
this Plan.
(b) Solely for the purpose of this Section 5.6, the term "compensation" is
defined as wages, salaries, and fees for professional services and other amounts
received (without regard to whether or not an amount is paid in cash) for
personal services actually rendered in the course of employment with the
Employer maintaining the Plan to the extent that the amounts are includable in
gross income (including, but not limited to, commissions paid to salesmen,
compensation for services on the basis of a percentage of profits, commissions
on insurance premiums, tips, bonuses, fringe benefits, and reimbursements or
other expense allowances under a nonaccountable plan (as described in Treas.
Regs. Section 1.62-2(c)), and excluding the following:
(1) Employer contributions to a plan of deferred compensation which are
not includable in the Employee's gross income for the taxable year in
which contributed, or Employer contributions under a simplified
employee pension plan to the extent such contributions are deductible
by the Employee, or any distributions from a plan of deferred
compensation;
(2) Amounts realized from the exercise of a non-qualified stock option, or
when restricted stock (or property) held by the employee either
becomes freely transferable or is no longer subject to a substantial
risk of forfeiture;
(3) Amounts realized from the sale, exchange or other disposition of stock
acquired under a qualified stock option; and
(4) Other amounts which received special tax benefits, or contributions
made by the employer (whether or not under a salary reduction
agreement) towards the purchase of an annuity contract described in
section 403(b) of the Code (whether or not the contributions are
actually excludable from the gross income of the Employee).
17
(c) In the event that the limitations on Annual Additions described in this
Section 5.6(a) above are exceeded with respect to any Participant in any
Limitation Year, then the contributions allocable to the Participant for such
year shall be reduced to the minimum extent required by such limitations in the
following order of priority:
(1) If any further reductions in Annual Additions are necessary, then the
Employee Stock Ownership contributions and forfeitures allocated
during such Limitation Year to the Participant's Employee Stock
Ownership Account shall be reduced. The amount of any such reductions
in the Employee Stock Ownership contributions and forfeitures shall be
reallocated to all other Participants in the same manner as set forth
under Sections 5.4 and 5.5.
(2) Any amounts which cannot be reallocated to other Participants in a
current Limitation Year in accordance with Section 5.6(c)(1) above
because of the limitations contained in Sections 5.6(a) and (d) shall
be credited to an account designated as the "limitations account" and
carried forward to the next and subsequent Limitation Years until it
can be reallocated to all Participants as set forth in Sections 5.4,
and 5.5, as appropriate. No Investment Adjustments shall be allocated
to this limitations account. In the next and subsequent Limitation
Years, all amounts in the limitations account must be allocated in the
manner described in Sections 5.4 and 5.5, as appropriate, before any
Employee Stock Ownership contributions may be made to this Plan for
that Limitation Year.
(3) The Administrator shall determine to what extent the Annual Additions
to any Participant's Employee Stock Ownership Account must be reduced
in each Limitation Year. The Administrator shall reduce the Annual
Additions to all other tax-qualified retirement plans maintained by
the Employer in accordance with the terms contained therein for
required reductions or reallocations mandated by Section 415 of the
Code before reducing any Annual Additions in this Plan.
(4) In the event this Plan is voluntarily terminated by the Employer under
Section 13.5, any amounts credited to the limitations account
described in Section 5.6(c)(2) above which have not be reallocated as
set forth herein shall be distributed to the Participants who are
still employed by the Employer on the date of termination, in the
proportion that each Participant's Compensation bears to the
Compensation of all Participants.
(d) The Annual Additions credited to a Participant's accounts for each
Limitation Year are further limited so that in the case of an Employee who is a
Participant in both this Plan and any qualified defined benefit plan
(hereinafter referred to as a "pension plan") of the Employer, the sum of (1)
and (2) below will not exceed 1.0:
18
(1) (A) The projected annual normal retirement benefit of a Participant under
the pension plan, divided by
(B) The lesser of:
(i) The product of 1.25 multiplied by the dollar limitation in
effect under Section 415(b)(1)(A) of the Code for such
Limitation Year; or
(ii) The product of 1.4 multiplied by the amount of compensation
which may be taken into account under Section 415(b)(1)(B)
of the Code for the Participant for such Limitation Year;
plus
(2) (A) The sum of Annual Additions credited to the Participant under this
Plan for all Limitation Years, divided by:
(B) The sum of the lesser of the following amounts determined for such
Limitation Year and for each prior year of service with the Employer:
(i) The product of 1.25 multiplied by the dollar limitation in
effect under Section 415(b)(1)(A) of the Code for such
Limitation Year, or
(ii) The product of 1.4 multiplied by the amount of compensation
which may be taken into account under Section 415(b)(1)(B)
of the Code for the Participant for such Limitation Year.
The Administrator may, in calculating the defined
contribution plan fraction described in Section 5.6(d)(2),
elect to use the transitional rule pursuant to Section
415(e)(6) of the Code, if applicable. If the sum of the
fractions produced above will exceed 1.0, even after the use
of the "fresh start" rule contained in Section 235 of the
Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 ("TEFRA"),
if applicable, then the same provisions as stated in Section
5.6(c) above shall apply. If, even after the
19
reductions provided for in Section 5.6(c), the sum of the
fractions still exceed 1.0, then the benefits of the
Participant provided under the pension plan shall be reduced
to the extent necessary, in accordance with Treasury
Regulations issued under the Code. Solely for the purposes
of this Section 5.6(d), the term "years of service" shall
mean all years of service defined by Treasury Regulations
issued under Section 415 of the Code.
(e) In the event that the Employer is a member of (1) a controlled group of
corporations or a group of trades or businesses under common control (as
described in Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code, as modified by Section 415(h)
thereof), or (2) an affiliated service group (as described in Section 414(m) of
the Code), the Annual Additions credited to any Participant's accounts in any
such Limitation Year shall be further limited by reason of the existence of all
other qualified retirement plans maintained by such affiliated corporations,
other entities under common control or other members of the affiliated service
group, to the extent such reduction is required by Section 415 of the Code and
the regulations promulgated thereunder. The Administrator shall determine if
any such reduction in the Annual Additions to a Participant's accounts is
required for this reason, and if so, the same provisions as stated in 5.6(c) and
(d) above shall apply.
(f) Annual Additions shall not include any Employer contributions which are
used by the Trust to pay interest on an Exempt Loan nor any forfeitures of
Employer Securities purchased with the proceeds of an Exempt Loan, provided that
not more than one-third of the Employer contributions are allocated to
Participants who are among the group of employees deemed "highly compensated
employees" within the meaning of Code Section 414(q).
5.7 Erroneous Allocations.
No Participant shall be entitled to any Annual Additions or other
allocations to his accounts in excess of those permitted under Sections 5.3,
5.4, 5.5, and 5.6. If it is determined at anytime that the Administrator and/or
Trustees have erred in accepting and allocating any contributions or forfeitures
under this Plan, or in allocating Investment Adjustments, or in excluding or
including any person as a Participant, then the Administrator, in a uniform and
nondiscriminatory manner, shall determine the manner in which such error shall
be corrected and shall promptly advise the Trustee in writing of such error and
of the method for correcting such error. The accounts of any or all
Participants may be revised, if necessary, in order to correct such error.
20
5.8 Value of Participant's Interest in Fund
At any time, the value of a Participant's interest in the Fund shall
consist of the aggregate value of his Employee Stock Ownership Account and his
distribution account, if any, determined as of the next-preceding Valuation
Date. The Administrator shall maintain adequate records of the cost basis of
Employer Securities allocated to each Participant's Employer Stock Ownership
Account.
5.9 Investment of Account Balances.
The Employee Stock Ownership Accounts shall be invested primarily in
Employer Securities. All sales of Employer Securities by the Trustee
attributable to the Employee Stock Ownership Accounts of all Participants shall
be charged pro rata to the Employee Stock Ownership Accounts of all
Participants.
21
ARTICLE VI
RETIREMENT, DEATH AND DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY
6.1 Normal Retirement.
A Participant who reaches his Normal Retirement Date and who shall retire
at that time shall thereupon be entitled to retirement benefits based on the
value of his interest in the Fund, payable pursuant to the provisions of Section
9.1. A Participant who remains in Service after his Normal Retirement Date
shall not be entitled to any retirement benefits until his actual termination of
Service thereafter (except as provided in Section 9.3(g)) and he shall meanwhile
continue to participate in this Plan.
6.2 Early Retirement.
A Participant who reaches his Early Retirement Date may retire at such time
(or, at his election, as of the first day of any month thereafter prior to his
Normal Retirement Date) and shall thereupon be entitled to retirement benefits
based on the value of his interest in the Fund, payable pursuant to the
provisions of Section 9.1.
6.3 Disability Retirement.
In the event a Participant incurs a Disability, he may retire on his
Disability Retirement Date and shall thereupon be entitled to retirement
benefits based on the value of his interest in the Fund, payable pursuant to the
provisions of Section 9.1.
6.4 Death Benefits.
(a) Upon the death of a Participant before his Retirement or other
termination of Service, the value of his interest in the Fund shall be payable
pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.1. The Administrator shall direct the
Trustee to distribute his interest in the Fund to any surviving Beneficiary
designated by the Participant or, if none, to such persons designated by the
Administrator pursuant to Section 6.5.
(b) Upon the death of a Former Participant, the Administrator shall direct
the Trustee to distribute any undistributed balance of his interest in the Fund
to any surviving Beneficiary designated by him or, if none, to such persons
designated by the Administrator pursuant to Section 6.5.
(c) The Administrator may require such proper proof of death and such
evidence of the right of any person to receive the interest in the Fund of a
deceased Participant or Former Participant as the Administrator may deem
desirable. The Administrator's determination of death and of the right of any
person to receive payment shall be conclusive.
22
6.5 Designation of Death Beneficiary and Manner of Payment.
(a) Each Participant shall have the right to designate a Beneficiary or
Beneficiaries to receive the sum or sums to which he may be entitled upon his
death. The Participant may also designate the manner in which any death
benefits under this Plan shall be payable to his Beneficiary, provided that such
designation is in accordance with Section 9.4. Such designation of Beneficiary
and manner of payment shall be in writing and delivered to the Administrator,
and shall be effective when received by the Administrator. The Participant
shall have the right to change such designation by notice in writing to the
Administrator. Such change of Beneficiary or the manner of payment shall become
effective upon its receipt by the Administrator. Any such change shall be
deemed to revoke all prior designations.
(b) If a Participant shall fail to designate validly a Beneficiary or if no
designated Beneficiary survives the Participant, his interest in the Fund shall
be paid to the person or persons in the first of the following classes of
successive preference Beneficiaries surviving at the death of the Participant:
the Participant's (1) widow or widower, (2) children, (3) parents, and (4)
estate. The Administrator shall decide what Beneficiaries, if any, shall have
been validly designated, and its decision shall be binding and conclusive on all
persons.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant has been married
throughout the 12 month period preceding the date of his death, the sum or sums
to which he may be entitled under this Plan upon his death shall be paid to his
spouse, unless the Participant's spouse shall have consented to the election of
another Beneficiary. Such a spousal consent shall be in writing and shall be
witnessed either by a representative of the Plan or a notary public. If it is
established to the satisfaction of the Administrator that such spousal consent
cannot be obtained because there is no spouse, because the spouse cannot be
located, or other reasons prescribed by governmental regulations, the consent of
the spouse may be waived, and the Participant may designate a Beneficiary or
Beneficiaries other than his spouse.
23
ARTICLE VII
VESTING AND FORFEITURES
7.1 Vesting on Death, Disability, Retirement and Change in Control.
Unless his participation in this Plan shall have terminated prior thereto,
upon a Participant's death, Disability, Early Retirement, or upon his attainment
of Normal Retirement Date (whether or not he actually retires at that time)
while he is still employed by the Employer, the Participant's entire interest in
the Fund shall be fully vested and nonforfeitable. In addition, a Participant's
interest shall be fully vested and unforfeitable upon a Change in Control. For
purposes of this Plan, a "Change in Control" shall mean an event deemed to occur
if and when (1) an offeror other than the Timberland Bancorp, Inc. purchases
shares of the stock of Timberland Bancorp, Inc. or the Sponsor pursuant to a
tender or exchange offer for such shares, (2) any person (as such term is used
in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) is or becomes the beneficial
owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of Timberland Bancorp, Inc. or the
Sponsor representing 25% or more of the combined voting power of Timberland
Bancorp, Inc.'s or the Sponsor's then outstanding securities, (3) the membership
of the board of directors of Timberland Bancorp, Inc. or the Sponsor changes as
the result of a contested election, such that individuals who were directors at
the beginning of any 24 month period (whether commencing before or after the
date of adoption of this Plan) do not constitute a majority of the Board at the
end of such period, or (4) shareholders of Timberland Bancorp, Inc. or the
Sponsor approve a merger, consolidation, sale or disposition of all or
substantially all of Timberland Bancorp, Inc.'s or the Sponsor's assets, or a
plan of partial or complete liquidation. If any of the events enumerated in
clauses (1) - (4) occur, the Board of Directors shall determine the effective
date of the change in control resulting therefrom.
7.2 Vesting on Termination of Participation.
Upon termination of his participation in this Plan for any reason other
than death, Disability, or Normal Retirement, a Participant shall be vested in a
percentage of his Employee Stock Ownership Account, such vested percentages to
be determined under the following table, based on the Years of Service
(including Years of Service prior to the Effective Date) credited to him for
vesting purposes at the time of his termination of participation:
Years of Service Completed Percentage Vested
Less than 1 0%
1 10%
2 20%
3 40%
4 60%
5 80%
6 or more 100%
24
Any portion of the Participant's Employee Stock Ownership Account which is
not vested at the time he incurs a Break shall thereupon be forfeited and
disposed of pursuant to Section 7.3. Distribution of the vested portion of a
terminated Participant's interest in the Plan may be authorized by the
Administrator in any manner permitted under Section 9.1.
7.3 Disposition of Forfeitures.
(a) In the event a Participant incurs a Break and subsequently resumes both
his Service and his participation in the Plan prior to incurring at least five
Breaks, the forfeitable portion of his Employee Stock Ownership Account shall be
reinstated to the credit of the Participant as of the date he resumes
participation.
(b) In the event a Participant terminates Service and subsequently incurs a
Break and receives a distribution, or in the event a Participant does not
terminate Service, but incurs at least five Breaks, or in the event that a
Participant terminates Service and incurs at least five Breaks but has not
received a distribution, then the forfeitable portion of his Employer Account,
including Investment Adjustments, shall be reallocated to other Participants,
pursuant to Section 5.4 as of the date the Participant incurs such Break or
Breaks, as the case may be.
(c) In the event a former Participant who had received a distribution from
the Plan is rehired, he shall repay the amount of his distribution before the
earlier of five years after the date of his rehire by the Employer, or the close
of the first period of five consecutive Breaks commencing after the withdrawal
in order for any forfeited amounts to be restored to him.
25
ARTICLE VIII
EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PROVISIONS
8.1 Right to Demand Employer Securities.
A Participant entitled to a distribution from his Employee Stock Ownership
Account shall be entitled to demand that his interest in the Account be
distributed to him in the form of Employer Securities, all subject to Section
9.9. In the event that the Employer Securities are not readily tradable on an
established market, the Participant shall be entitled to require that the
Employer repurchase the Employer Securities under a fair valuation formula, as
provided by governmental regulations. The Participant or Beneficiary shall be
entitled to exercise the put option described in the preceding sentence for a
period of not more than 60 days following the date of distribution of Employer
Securities to him. If the put option is not exercised within such 60-day
period, the Participant or Beneficiary may exercise the put option during an
additional period of not more than 60 days after the beginning of the first day
of the first Plan Year following the Plan Year in which the first put option
period occurred, all as provided in regulations promulgated by the Secretary of
the Treasury.
8.2 Voting Rights.
Each Participant with an Employee Stock Ownership Account shall be entitled
to direct the Trustee as to the manner in which the Employer Securities in such
Account are to be voted. Employer Securities held in the Employee Stock
Ownership Suspense Account or the Exempt Loan Suspense Account shall be voted by
the Trustee on each issue with respect to which shareholders are entitled to
vote in the manner directed by the majority of the Participants who directed the
Trustee as to the manner of voting their shares in the Employee Stock Ownership
Accounts with respect to such issue. Prior to the initial allocation of shares,
the Trustee shall be entitled to vote the shares in the Suspense Account without
prior direction from the Participants or the Administrator. In the event that a
Participant fails to give timely voting instructions to the Trustee with respect
to the voting of his allocated Employer Securities, the Trustee shall be
entitled to vote such shares in its discretion.
8.3 Nondiscrimination in Employee Stock Ownership Contributions.
In the event that the amount of the Employee Stock Ownership contributions
that would be required in any Plan Year to make the scheduled payments on an
Exempt Loan would exceed the amount that would otherwise be deductible by the
Employer for such Plan Year under Code Section 404, then no more than one-third
of the Employee Stock Ownership contributions for the Plan Year, which is also
the Employer's taxable year, shall be allocated to the group of Employees who
during the Plan Year or the preceding Plan Year:
(a) During the Plan Year or the preceding Plan Year was at any time a 5%
owner of the Employer; or
26
(b) During the preceding Plan Year, received compensation from the Employer
in excess of $80,000, as adjusted under Code Section 414(q) and, if elected by
the Employer, was in the top paid group of Employees for such Plan Year.
8.4 Dividends.
Any cash dividends or other cash contributions received by the Trustee of
Employer Securities allocated to the Employee Stock Account of Participants
shall be credited to the applicable Participants' Ownership Accounts unless the
Sponsor, in its sole discretion, elects to pay the cash dividends directly to
the applicable Participants or directs the Trustee to pay the cash dividends to
the Participants (or, if applicable, their Beneficiaries) within 90 calendar
days of the close of the Plan Year in which the cash dividend were paid to the
Fund. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section to the contrary, the
Sponsor may direct cash dividends, including dividends on non-allocated shares,
be applied to repay an Exempt Loan, but only to the extent shares of Employer
Securities with an aggregate fair market value equal to the amount of dividends
so applied are allocated to the Employee Stock Ownership Account of the
applicable Participants and to the extent the cash dividends are deductible
under Section 404(k) of the Code. To the extent cash dividends on allocated
shares are applied to repay an Exempt Loan, shares released from encumbrance the
value equal to the amount of the dividends which, but for the repayment of the
Exempt Loan, would have been allocated to Participants' Employee Stock Ownership
Accounts shall be allocated to the Employee Stock Ownership Accounts of the
affected Participants, and the remaining shares to be allocated shall be
allocated among the Participants in accordance with Section 5.5. Dividends on
Employer Securities obtained pursuant to an Exempt Loan and not yet allocated
may be used to make payments on an Exempt Loan, as described in Section 8.5.
8.5 Exempt Loans.
(a) The Sponsor may direct the Trustee to obtain Exempt Loans. The Exempt
Loan may take the form of (i) a loan from a bank or other commercial lender to
purchase Employer Securities (ii) a loan from the Employer or affiliated
corporation, to the Plan; or (iii) an installment sale of Employer Securities to
the Plan. The proceeds of any such Exempt Loan shall be used, within a
reasonable time after the Exempt Loan is obtained, only to purchase Employer
Securities, repay the Exempt Loan, or repay any prior Exempt Loan. Any such
Exempt Loan shall provide for no more than a reasonable rate of interest and
shall be without recourse against the Plan. The number of years to maturity
under the Exempt Loan must be definitely ascertainable at all times. The only
assets of the Plan that may be given as collateral for an Exempt Loan are
Employer Securities acquired with the proceeds of the Exempt Loan and Employer
Securities that were used as collateral for a prior Exempt Loan repaid with the
proceeds of the current Exempt Loan. Such Employer Securities so pledged shall
be placed in an Exempt Loan Suspense Account. No person or institution entitled
to payment under an Exempt Loan shall have recourse against Trust assets other
than the aforesaid collateral, Employer Stock Ownership contributions (other
than contributions of Employer Securities) that are available under the Plan to
meet obligations under the Exempt Loan and earnings attributable to such
27
collateral and the investment of such contributions. All Employee Stock
Ownership contributions paid during the Plan Year in which an Exempt Loan is
made (whether before or after the date the proceeds of the Exempt Loan are
received), all Employee Stock Ownership contributions paid thereafter until the
Exempt Loan has been repaid in full, and all earnings from investment of such
Employee Stock Ownership contributions, without regard to whether any such
Employee Stock Ownership contributions and earnings have been allocated to
Participants' Employee Stock Ownership Accounts, shall be available to meet
obligations under the Exempt Loan as such obligations accrue, or prior to the
time such obligations accrue, unless otherwise provided by the Employer at the
time any such contribution is made. Any pledge of Employer Securities shall
provide for the release of shares so pledged upon the payment of any portion of
the Exempt Loan.
(b) For each Plan Year during the duration of the Exempt Loan, the number
of shares of Employer Securities released from such pledge shall equal the
number of encumbered shares held immediately before release for the current Plan
Year multiplied by a fraction. The numerator of the fraction is the sum of
principal and interest paid in such Plan Year. The denominator of the fraction
is the sum of the numerator plus the principal and interest to be paid for all
future years. Such years will be determined without taking into account any
possible extension or renewal periods. If interest on any Exempt Loan is
variable, the interest to be paid in future years under the Exempt Loan shall be
computed by using the interest rate applicable as of the end of the Plan Year.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trustee may obtain an Exempt Loan
pursuant to the terms of which the number of Employer Securities to be released
from encumbrance shall be determined solely with reference to principal
payments. In the event that such an Exempt Loan is obtained, annual payments of
principal and interest shall be at a cumulative rate that is not less rapid at
any time than level payments of such amounts for not more than 10 years. The
amount of interest in any such annual loan repayment shall be disregarded only
to the extent that it would be determined to be interest under standard loan
amortization tables. The requirement set forth in the preceding sentence shall
not be 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 a new Exempt Loan exceeds 10
years.
8.6 Exempt Loan Payments.
(a) Payments of principal and interest on any Exempt Loan during a Plan
Year shall be made by the Trustee (as directed by the Administrator) only from
(1) Employee Stock Ownership contributions to the Trust made to meet the Plan's
obligation under an Exempt Loan (other than contributions of Employer
Securities) and from any earnings attributable to Employer Securities held as
collateral for an Exempt Loan and investments of such contributions (both
received during or prior to the Plan Year); (2) the proceeds of a subsequent
Exempt Loan made to repay a prior Exempt Loan; and (3) the proceeds of the sale
of any Employer Securities held as collateral for an Exempt Loan. Such
contribution and earnings shall be accounted for separately by the Plan until
the Exempt Loan is repaid.
28
(b) Employer Securities released by reason of the payment of principal or
interest on an Exempt Loan from amounts allocated to Participants' Employee
Stock Ownership Accounts shall be allocated as set forth in Section 5.5.
(c) The Employer shall contribute to the Trust sufficient amounts to enable
the Trust to pay principal and interest on any such Exempt Loans as they are
due, provided however that no such contribution shall exceed the limitations in
Section 5.6. In the event that such contributions by reason of the limitations
in Section 5.6 are insufficient to enable the Trust to pay principal and
interest on such Exempt Loan as it is due, then upon the Trustee's request the
Employer or an affiliated corporation shall:
(1) Make an Exempt Loan to the Trust in sufficient amounts to meet such
principal and interest payments. Such new Exempt Loan shall be
subordinated to the prior Exempt Loan. Securities released from the
pledge of the prior Exempt Loan shall be pledged as collateral to
secure the new Exempt Loan. Such Employer Securities will be released
from this new pledge and allocated to the Employee Stock Ownership
Accounts of the Participants in accordance with applicable provisions
of the Plan;
(2) Purchase any Employer Securities pledged as collateral in an amount
necessary to provide the Trustee with sufficient funds to meet the
principal and interest repayments. Any such sale by the Plan shall
meet the requirements of Section 408(e) of ERISA; or
(3) Any combination of the foregoing. However, the Employer shall not,
pursuant to the provisions of this subsection, do, fail to do or cause
to be done any act or thing which would result in a disqualification
of the Plan as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan under the Code.
(d) Except as provided in Section 8.1 above and notwithstanding any
amendment to or termination of the Plan which causes it to cease to qualify as
an Employee Stock Ownership plan within the meaning of Section 4975(e)(7) of the
Code, or any repayment of an Exempt Loan, no shares of Employer Securities
acquired with the proceeds of an Exempt Loan obtained by the Trust to purchase
Employer Securities may be subject to a put, call or other option, or buy-sell
or similar arrangement while such shares are held by the Plan or when such
Shares are distributed from the Plan.
8.7 Put Option.
If a Participant exercises a put option (as set forth in Section 8.1) with
respect to Employer Securities that were distributed as part of a total
distribution pursuant to which a Participant's Employee Stock Ownership Account
is distributed to him in a single taxable year, the Employer or the Plan may
elect to pay the purchase price of the Employer Securities over a period not to
exceed five years. Such payments shall be made in substantially equal
29
installments not less frequently than annually over a period beginning not later
than 30 days after the exercise of the put option. Reasonable interest shall be
paid to the Participant with respect to the unpaid balance of the purchase price
and adequate security shall be provided with respect thereto. In the event that
a Participant exercises a put option with respect to Employer Securities that
are distributed as part of an installment distribution, the amount to be paid
for such securities shall be paid not later than 30 days after the exercise of
the put option.
8.8 Diversification Requirements
Each Participant who has completed at least 10 years of participation in
the Plan and has attained age 55 may elect within 90 days after the close of
each Plan Year during his "qualified election period" to direct the Plan as to
the investment of at least 25% of his Employee Stock Ownership Account (to the
extent such percentage exceeds the amount to which a prior election under this
Section 8.8 had been made). For purposes of this Section 8.8, the term
"qualified election period" shall mean the five-Plan Year period beginning with
the Plan Year after the Plan Year in which the Participant attains age 55 (or,
if later, beginning with the Plan Year after the first Plan Year in which the
Employee first completes at least 10 years of participation in the Plan). In
the case of the Employee who has attained age 60 and completed 10 years of
participation in the prior Plan Year and in the case of the election year in
which any other Participant who has met the minimum age and service requirements
for diversification can make his last election hereunder, he shall be entitled
to direct the Plan as to the investment of at least 50% of his Employee Stock
Ownership Account (to the extent such percentage exceeds the amount to which a
prior election under this Section 8.8 had been made). The Plan shall make
available at least three investment options (not inconsistent with regulations
prescribed by the Department of Treasury) to each Participant making an election
hereunder. The Plan shall be deemed to have met the requirements of this
Section if the portion of the Participant's Employee Stock Ownership Account
covered by the election hereunder is distributed to the Participant or his
designated Beneficiary within 90 days after the period during which the election
may be made. In the absence of such a distribution, the Trustee shall implement
the Participant's election within 90 days following the expiration of the
qualified election period.
8.9 Independent Appraiser.
An independent appraiser meeting the requirements of Code 170(a)(1) shall
value the Employer Securities in those Plan Years when such securities are not
readily tradable on an established securities market.
8.10 Limitation on Allocations.
In the event that the Trustee acquires shares of Employer Securities in a
transaction to which section 1042 of the Code applies, such Shares shall not be
allocated, directly or indirectly, to any Participant described in Section
409(n)(1) of the Code for the duration of the "nonallocation period" (as defined
in Section 409(n)(3)(C) of the Code). Where any shares of Employer Securities
are prevented from being allocated due to he prohibition contained in this
30
section the allocation of contributions otherwise provided under Section 5.5
shall be adjusted to reflect such result.
31
ARTICLE IX
PAYMENTS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
9.1 Payments on Termination of Service -- In General.
All benefits provided under this Plan shall be funded by the value of a
Participant's vested interest in the Fund. As soon as practicable after a
Participant's Retirement, death or termination of Service, the Administrator
shall ascertain the value of his vested interest in the Fund, as provided in
Article V, and the Administrator shall hold or dispose of the same in accordance
with the following provisions of this Article IX.
9.2 Commencement of Payments.
(a) Distributions upon Retirement or Death. Upon a Participant's
Retirement or Death, payment of benefits under this Plan shall, unless the
Participant otherwise elects (in accordance with Section 9.3), commence no later
than six months after the close of the Plan Year in which occurs the date of the
Participant's Retirement or death.
(b) Distribution following Termination of Service. Unless a Participant
elects otherwise, if a Participant terminates Service prior to Retirement or
death, he shall be accorded an opportunity to commence receipt of distributions
from his Accounts within six months after the Valuation Date next following the
date of his termination of service. A Participant who terminates Service with a
deferred vested benefit shall be entitled to receive from the Administrator a
statement of his benefits. In the event that a Participant elects not to
commence receipt of distributions from his Accounts in accordance with this
Section 9.2(b), after the Participant incurs a Break, the Administrator shall
transfer his deferred vested interest to a distribution account. If a
Participant's vested Employer Account does not exceed (or at the time of any
prior distribution did not exceed) $3,500, the Plan Administrator may distribute
the vested portion of his Employer Account as soon as administratively feasible
without the consent of the Participant or his spouse.
(c) Distribution of Accounts Greater Than $3,500. If the value of a
Participant's vested Account balance exceeds (or at the time of any prior
distribution exceeded) $3,500, and the Account balance is immediately
distributable, the Participant must consent to any distribution of such Account
balance. The Plan Administrator shall notify the Participant of the right to
defer any distribution until the Participant's Account balance is no longer
immediately distributable. 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 Code Section 415.
9.3 Mandatory Commencement of Benefits.
(a) Unless a Participant elects otherwise, in writing, distribution of
benefits will begin no later than the 60th day after the latest of the close of
the Plan Year in which (i) the Participant
32
attains age 65, (ii) occurs the tenth anniversary of the year in which the
Participant commenced participation in the Plan Year, or (iii) the Participant
terminates Service with the Employer.
(b) In the event that the Plan shall be subsequently amended to provide for
a form of distribution other than a lump sum, as of the first distribution
calendar year, distributions, if not made in a lump sum, may be made only over
one of the following periods (or a combination thereof):
(i) the life of the Participant,
(ii) the life of the Participant and the designated beneficiary,
(iii) a period certain not extending beyond the life expectancy of the
Participant, or
(iv) a period certain not extending beyond the joint and last survivor
expectancy of the Participant and a designated beneficiary.
(c) In the event that the Plan shall be subsequently amended to provide for
a form of distribution other than a lump sum, if the participant's interest is
to be distributed in other than a lump sum, the following minimum distribution
rules shall apply on or after the required beginning date:
(i) If a Participant's benefit is to be distributed over (1) a period
not extending beyond the life expectancy of the Participant or the
joint life and last survivor expectancy of the Participant and the
Participant's designated beneficiary or (2) a period not extending
beyond the life expectancy of the designated beneficiary, the amount
required to be distributed for each calendar year, beginning with
distributions for the first distribution calendar year, must at
least equal the quotient obtained by dividing the Participant's
benefit by the applicable life expectancy.
(ii) The amount to be distributed each year, beginning with distributions
for the first distribution calendar year shall not be less than the
quotient obtained by dividing the Participant's benefit by the
lesser of (1) the applicable life expectancy or (2) if the
Participant's spouse is not the designated beneficiary, the
applicable divisor determined from the table set forth in Q&A-4 of
section 1.401(a)(9)-2 of the Proposed Regulations. Distributions
after the death of the participant shall be distributed using the
applicable life expectancy in sub-section (iii) above as the
relevant divisor without regard to Proposed Regulations 1.401(a)(9)-
2.
(iii) The minimum distribution required for the Participant's first
distribution calendar year must be made on or before the
Participant's required
33
beginning date. The minimum distribution for other calendar years,
including the minimum distribution for the distribution calendar
year in which the employee's required beginning date occurs, must be
made on or before December 31 of the distribution calendar year.
(d) If a Participant dies after a distribution has commenced in accordance
with Section 8.3(b) but before his entire interest has been distributed to him,
the remaining portion of such interest shall be distributed to his Beneficiary
at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution in effect as of the date
of his death.
(e) If a Participant shall die before the distribution of his interest in
the Plan has begun, the entire interest of the Participant shall be distributed
by December 31 of the calendar year containing the fifth anniversary of the
death of the Participant, except in the following events:
(i) If any portion of the Participant's interest is payable to (or for
the benefit of) a designated beneficiary over a period not extending
beyond the life expectancy of such beneficiary and such
distributions begin not later than December 31 of the calendar year
immediately following the calendar year in which the Participant
died.
(ii) If any portion of the Participant's interest is payable to (or for
the benefit of) the Participant's spouse over a period not extending
beyond the life expectancy of such spouse and such distributions
begin no later than December 31 of the calendar year in which the
Participant would have attained age 70-1/2.
If the Participant has not made a distribution election by the time
of his death, the Participant's designated beneficiary shall elect
the method of distribution no later than the earlier of (1) December
31 of the calendar year in which distributions would be required to
begin under this Article or (2) December 31 of the calendar year
which contains the fifth anniversary of the date of death of the
Participant. If the Participant has no designated beneficiary, or if
the designated beneficiary does not elect a method of distribution,
distribution of the Participant's entire interest shall be completed
by December 31 of the calendar year containing the fifth anniversary
of the Participant's death.
(f) For purposes of this Article, the life expectancy of a Participant and
his spouse may be redetermined but not more frequently than annually. The life
expectancy (or joint and last survivor expectancy) shall be calculated using the
attained age of the Participant (or designated beneficiary) as of the
Participant's (or designated beneficiary's) birthday in the applicable calendar
year reduced by one for each calendar year which has elapsed since the date life
expectancy was first calculated. If life expectancy is being recalculated, the
applicable life expectancy shall be the life expectancy as so recalculated. The
applicable calendar year shall be
34
the first distribution calendar year, and if life expectancy is being
recalculated, such succeeding calendar year. Unless otherwise elected by the
Participant (or his spouse, if applicable) by the time distributions are
required to begin, life expectancies shall be recalculated annually. Any such
election not to recalculate shall be irrevocable and shall apply to all
subsequent years. The life expectancy of a nonspouse beneficiary may not be
recalculated.
(g) For purposes of Section 9.3(b) and 9.3(e), any amount paid to a child
shall be treated as if it had been paid to a surviving spouse if such amount
will become payable to the surviving spouse upon such child reaching majority
(or other designated event permitted under regulations).
(h) For distributions beginning before the Participant's death, the first
distribution calendar year is the calendar year immediately preceding the
calendar year which 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
pursuant to this Article.
9.4 Required Beginning Dates.
The required beginning date of a Participant is the first day of April of
the calendar year following the later of (1) calendar year in which the
participant attains age 70-1/2 or (2) the calendar year in which the Participant
terminated his employment, unless he is a 5% owner (as defined in Section 416)
with respect to the Plan Year ending in the calendar year in which he attains
age 70-1/2, in which case clause (2) shall not apply.
9.5 Form of Payment.
Each Participant's vested interest shall be distributed in a lump sum
payment. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, but subject to Section 9.3, the
Administrator may not distribute a lump sum when the present value of a
Participant's total Account balances is in excess of $3,500 without the
Participant's consent. This form of payment shall be the normal form of
distribution provided, however, that in the event that the Administrator must
commence distributions with respect to an Employee who has attained age 70-1/2
and is still employed by the Employer, if the Employee does not elect a lump sum
distribution, payments shall be made in installments in such amounts as shall
satisfy the minimum distribution rules of Section 9.3.
9.6 Payments Upon Termination of Plan.
Upon termination of this Plan pursuant to Sections 13.2, 13.4, 13.5 or
13.6, the Administrator shall continue to perform its duties and the Trustee
shall make all payments upon the following terms, conditions and provisions: All
interests of Participants shall immediately become fully vested; the value of
the interests of all Participants shall be determined within 60 days after such
termination, and the Administrator shall have the same powers to direct the
Trustee in making payments as contained in Sections 9.1 and 13.5.
35
9.7 Distributions Pursuant to Qualified Domestic Relations Orders.
Upon receipt of a domestic relations order, the Administrator shall notify
promptly the Participant and any alternate payee of receipt of the order and the
Plan's procedure for determining whether the order is a Qualified Domestic
Relations Order. While the issue of whether a domestic relations order is a
Qualified Domestic Relations Order is being determined, if the benefits would
otherwise be paid, the Administrator shall segregate in a separate account in
the Plan the amounts that would be payable to the alternate payee during such
period if the order were a Qualified Domestic Relations Order. If within 18
months the order is determined to be a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, the
amounts so segregated, along with the interest or investment earnings
attributable thereto shall be paid to the alternate payee. Alternatively, if
within 18 months, it is determined that the order is not a Qualified Domestic
Relations Order or if the issue is still unresolved, the amounts segregated
under this Section 9.6, with the earnings attributable thereto, shall be paid to
the Participant or Beneficiary who would have been entitled to such amounts if
there had been no order. The determination as to whether the order is qualified
shall be applied prospectively. Thus, if the Administrator determines that the
order is a Qualified Domestic Relations Order after the 18-month period, the
Plan shall not be liable for payments to the alternative payee for the period
before the order is determined to be a Qualified Domestic Relations Order.
9.8 Cash-Out Distributions
If a Participant receives a distribution of the entire present value of his
vested Account balances under this Plan because of the termination of his
participation in the Plan, the Plan shall disregard a Participant's Service with
respect to which such cash-out distribution shall have been made, in computing
his accrued benefit under the Plan in the event that a Former Participant shall
again become an Employee and become eligible to participate in the Plan. Such a
distribution shall be deemed to be made on termination of participation in the
Plan if it is made not later than the close of the second Plan Year following
the Plan Year in which such termination occurs. The forfeitable portion of a
Participant's accrued benefit shall be restored upon repayment to the Plan by
such former Participant of the full amount of the cash-out distribution,
provided that the former Participant again becomes an Employee. Such repayment
must be made by the Employee not later than the end of the five-year period
beginning with the date of the distribution. Forfeitures required to be
restored by virtue of such repayment shall be restored from the following
sources in the following order of preference: (i) current forfeitures; (ii)
additional employee stock ownership contributions, as appropriate and as subject
to Section 5.6; and (iii) investment earnings of the Fund. In the event that a
Participant's interest in the Plan is totally forfeitable, a Participant shall
be deemed to have received a distribution of zero upon his termination of
Service. In the event of a return to Service within five years of the date of
his deemed distribution, the Participant shall be deemed to have repaid his
distribution in accordance with the rules of this Section 9.8.
36
9.9 ESOP Distribution Rules.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Article IX to the contrary, the
distribution of a Participant's Employee Stock Ownership Account (unless the
Participant elects otherwise in writing), shall commence as soon as
administratively feasible as of the first Valuation Date coincident with or next
following his death, disability or termination of Service, but not later than
one year after the close of the Plan Year in which the Participant separates
from Service by reason of the attainment of his Normal Retirement Date,
disability, death or separation from Service. In addition, all distributions
hereunder shall, to the extent that the Participant's Account is invested in
Employer Securities, be made in the form of Employer Securities. Fractional
shares, however, may be distributed in the form of cash.
9.10 Withholding.
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary that would
otherwise limit a distributee's election under this Article IX, a distributee
may elect, at the time and in the manner prescribed by the Plan Administrator,
to have any portion of an "eligible rollover distribution" paid directly to an
"eligible retirement plan" specified by the distributee in a "direct rollover."
(b) For purposes of this Section 9.10, an "eligible rollover distribution"
is 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:
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 10 years or more; any distribution to the extent such
distribution is required under section 401(a)(9) of the Code; and the portion of
any distribution that is not includable in gross income (determined without
regard to the exclusion for net unrealized appreciation with respect to Employer
Securities).
(c) For purposes of this Section 9.10, an "eligible retirement plan" is an
individual retirement account described in section 408(a) of the Code, an
individual retirement annuity described in section 408(b) of the Code, an
annuity plan described in section 403(a) of the Code, or a qualified trust
described in section 401(a) of the Code, that accepts the distributee's eligible
rollover distribution. However, in the case of an "eligible rollover
distribution" to the surviving spouse, an "eligible retirement plan" is an
individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity.
(d) For purposes of this Section 9.10, a distributee includes a Participant
or former Participant. In addition, the Participant's or former Participant's
surviving spouse and the Participant's or former Participant's spouse or former
spouse who is the alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as
defined in section 414(p) of the Code, are "distributees" with regard to the
interest of the spouse or former spouse.
37
(e) For purposes of this Section 9.10, a "direct rollover" is a payment by
the Plan to the "eligible retirement plan" specified by the distributee.
9.11 Waiver of 30-day Notice.
If a distribution is one to which sections 401(a)(11) and 417 of the Code
do not apply, such distribution may commence less than 30 days after the notice
required under Section 1.411(a)-11(c) of the Income Tax Regulations is given,
provided that: (1) the Plan Administrator clearly informs the Participant that
the Participant has a right to a period of at least 30 days after receiving the
notice to consider the decision of whether or not to elect a distribution (and,
if applicable, a particular distribution option), and (2) the Participant, after
receiving the notice, affirmatively elects a distribution.
38
ARTICLE X
PROVISIONS RELATING TO TOP-HEAVY PLANS
10.1 Top-Heavy Rules to Control.
Anything contained in this Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, if for any
Plan Year the Plan is a top-heavy plan, as determined pursuant to Section 416 of
the Code, then the Plan must meet the requirements of this Article X for such
Plan Year.
10.2 Top-Heavy Plan Definitions.
Unless a different meaning is plainly implied by the context, the following
terms as used in this Article X shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Accrued Benefit" shall mean the account balances or accrued benefits
of an Employee, calculated pursuant to Section 10.3.
(b) "Determination Date" shall mean, with respect to any particular Plan
Year of this Plan, the last day of the preceding Plan Year (or, in the case of
the first Plan Year of the Plan, the last day of the first Plan Year). In
addition, the term "Determination Date" shall mean, with respect to any
particular plan year of any plan (other than this Plan) in a Required
Aggregation Group or a Permissive Aggregation Group, the last day of the plan
year of such plan which falls within the same calendar year as the Determination
Date for this Plan.
(c) "Employer" shall mean the Employer (as defined in Section 1.1(q)) and
any entity which is (1) a member of a controlled group including such Employer,
while it is a member of such controlled group (within the meaning of Section
414(b) of the Code), (2) in a group of trades or businesses under common control
with such Employer, while it is under common control (within the meaning of
Section 414(c) of the Code), and (3) a member of an affiliated service group
including such Employer, while it is a member of such affiliated service group
(within the meaning of Section 414(m) of the Code).
(d) "Key Employee" shall mean any Employee or former Employee (or any
Beneficiary of such Employee or former Employee, as the case may be) who, at any
time during the Plan Year or during the four immediately preceding Plan Years is
one of the following:
(1) An officer of the Employer who has compensation greater than 50% of
the amount in effect under Code 415(b)(1)(A) for the Plan Year;
provided, however, that no more than 50 Employees (or, if lesser, the
greater of three or 10% of the Employees) shall be deemed officers;
(2) One of the 10 Employees having annual compensation (as defined in
Section 415 of the Code) in excess of the limitation in effect under
Section
39
415(c)(1)(A) of the Code, and owning (or considered as owning, within
the meaning of Section 318 of the Code) the largest interests in the
Employer;
(3) Any Employee owning (or considered as owning, within the meaning of
Section 318 of the Code) more than 5% of the outstanding stock of the
Employer or stock possessing more than 5% of the total combined voting
power of all stock of the Employer; or
(4) Any Employee having annual compensation (as defined in Section 415 of
the Code) of more than $150,000 and who would be described in Section
10.2(d)(3) if "1%" were substituted for "5%" wherever the latter
percentage appears.
For purposes of applying Section 318 of the Code to the provisions of
this Section 10.2(d), Section 318(a)(2)(C) of the Code shall be
applied by substituting "5%" for "50%" wherever the latter percentage
appears. In addition, for purposes of this Section 10.2(d), the
provisions of Section 414(b), (c) and (m) shall not apply in
determining ownership interests in the Employer. However, for
purposes of determining whether an individual has compensation in
excess of $150,000, or whether an individual is a Key Employee under
Section 10.2(d)(1) and (2), compensation from each entity required to
be aggregated under Sections 414(b), (c) and (m) of the Code shall be
taken into account. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the
contrary, all determinations as to whether a person is or is not a Key
Employee shall be resolved by reference to Section 416 of the Code and
any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(e) "Non-Key Employee" shall mean any Employee or former Employee (or any
Beneficiary of such Employee or former Employee, as the case may be) who is not
considered to be a Key Employee with respect to this Plan.
(f) "Permissive Aggregation Group" shall mean all plans in the Required
Aggregation Group and any other plans maintained by the Employer which satisfy
Sections 401(a)(4) and 410 of the Code when considered together with the
Required Aggregation Group.
(g) "Required Aggregation Group" shall mean each plan (including any
terminated plan) of the Employer in which a Key Employee is (or in the case of a
terminated plan, had been) a Participant in the Plan Year containing the
Determination Date or any of the four preceding Plan Years, and each other plan
of the Employer which enables any plan of the Employer in which a Key Employee
is a Participant to meet the requirement of Sections 401(a)(4) and 410 of the
Code.
40
10.3 Calculation of Accrued Benefits.
(a) An Employee's Accrued Benefit shall be equal to:
(1) With respect to this Plan or any other defined contribution plan
(other than a defined contribution pension plan) in a Required
Aggregation Group or a Permissive Aggregation Group, the Employee's
account balances under the respective plan, determined as of the most
recent plan valuation date within a 12-month period ending on the
Determination Date, including contributions actually made after the
valuation date but before the Determination Date (and, in the first
plan year of a plan, also including any contributions made after the
Determination Date which are allocated as of a date in the first plan
year).
(2) With respect to any defined contribution pension plan in a Required
Aggregation Group or a Permissive Aggregation Group, the Employee's
account balances under the plan, determined as of the most recent plan
valuation date within a 12-month period ending on the Determination
Date, including contributions which have not actually been made, but
which are due to be made as of the Determination Date.
(3) With respect to any defined benefit plan in a Required Aggregation
Group or a Permissive Aggregation Group, the present value of the
Employee's accrued benefits under the plan, determined as of the most
recent plan valuation date within a 12-month period ending on the
Determination Date, pursuant to the actuarial assumptions used by such
plan, and calculated as if the Employee terminated Service under such
plan as of the valuation date (except that, in the first plan year of
a plan, a current Participant's estimated Accrued Benefit Plan as of
the Determination Date shall be taken into account).
(4) If any individual has not performed services for the Employer
maintaining the Plan at any time during the five-year period ending on
the Determination Date, any Accrued Benefit for such individual shall
not be taken into account.
(b) The Accrued Benefit of any Employee shall be further adjusted as
follows:
(1) The Accrued Benefit shall be calculated to include all amounts
attributable to both Employer and Employee contributions, but shall
exclude amounts attributable to voluntary deductible Employee
contributions, if any.
41
(2) The Accrued Benefit shall be increased by the aggregate distributions
made with respect to an Employee under the plan or plans, as the case
may be, during the five-year period ending on the Determination Date.
(3) Rollover and direct plan-to-plan transfers shall be taken into account
as follows:
(A) If the transfer is initiated by the Employee and made from a plan
maintained by one employer to a plan maintained by another
unrelated employer, the transferring plan shall continue to count
the amount transferred; the receiving plan shall not count the
amount transferred.
(B) If the transfer is not initiated by the Employee or is made
between plans maintained by related employers, the transferring
plan shall no longer count the amount transferred; the receiving
plan shall count the amount transferred.
(c) If any individual has not performed services for the Employer at any
time during the five-year period ending on the Determination Date, any accrued
benefit for such individual (and the account of such individual) shall not be
taken into account.
10.4 Determination of Top-Heavy Status.
This Plan shall be considered to be a top-heavy plan for any Plan Year if,
as of the Determination Date, the value of the Accrued Benefits of Key Employees
exceeds 60% of the value of the Accrued Benefits of all eligible Employees under
the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Employer maintains any other
qualified plan, the determination of whether this Plan is top-heavy shall be
made after aggregating all other plans of the Employer in the Required
Aggregation Group and, if desired by the Employer as a means of avoiding top-
heavy status, after aggregating any other plan of the Employer in the Permissive
Aggregation Group. If the required Aggregation Group is top-heavy, then each
plan contained in such group shall be deemed to be top-heavy, notwithstanding
that any particular plan in such group would not otherwise be deemed to be top-
heavy. Conversely, if the Permissive Aggregation Group is not top-heavy, then
no plan contained in such group shall be deemed to be top-heavy, notwithstanding
that any particular plan in such group would otherwise be deemed to be top-
heavy. In no event shall a plan included in a top-heavy Permissive Aggregation
Group be deemed a top-heavy plan unless such plan is also included in a top-
heavy Required Aggregation Group.
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10.5 Determination of Super Top-Heavy Status.
The Plan shall be considered to be a super top-heavy plan if, as of the
Determination Date, the Plan would meet the test specified in Section 10.4 above
for classification as a top-heavy plan, except that "90%" shall be substituted
for "60%" whenever the latter percentage appears.
10.6 Minimum Contribution.
(a) For any year in which the Plan is top-heavy, each Non-Key Employee who
has met the age and service requirements, if any, contained in the Plan, shall
be entitled to a minimum contribution (which may include forfeitures otherwise
allocable) equal to a percentage of such Non-Key Employee's compensation (as
defined in Section 415 of the Code) as follows:
(1) If the Non-Key Employee is not covered by a defined benefit plan
maintained by the Employer, then the minimum contribution under this
Plan shall be 3% of such Non-Key Employee's compensation.
(2) If the Non-Key Employee is covered by a defined benefit plan
maintained by the Employer, then the minimum contribution under this
Plan shall be 5% of such Non-Key Employee's compensation.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the minimum contribution otherwise
allocable to a Non-Key Employee under this Plan shall be reduced in the
following circumstances:
(1) The percentage minimum contribution required under this Plan shall in
no event exceed the percentage contribution made for the Key Employee
for whom such percentage is the highest for the Plan Year after
taking into account contributions under other defined contribution
plans in this Plan's Required Aggregation Group; provided, however,
that this Section 10.7(b)(1) shall not apply if this Plan is included
in a Required Aggregation Group and this Plan enables a defined
benefit plan in such Required Aggregation Group to meet the
requirements of Section 401(a)(4) or 410 of the Code.
(2) No minimum contribution shall be required (or the minimum
contribution shall be reduced, as the case may be) for a Non-Key
Employee under this Plan for any Plan Year if the Employer maintains
another qualified plan under which a minimum benefit or contribution
is being accrued or made on account of such Plan Year, in whole or in
part, on behalf of the Non-Key Employee, in accordance with Section
416(c) of the Code.
(c) For purposes of this Section 10.6, there shall be disregarded (1) any
Employer contributions attributable to a salary reduction or similar
arrangement, or (2) any Employer
43
contributions to or any benefits under Chapter 21 of the Code (relating to the
Federal Insurance Contributions Act), Title II of the Social Security Act, or
any other federal or state law.
(d) For purposes of this Section 10.6, minimum contributions shall be
required to be made on behalf of only those Non-Key Employees, as described in
Section 10.7(a), who have not terminated Service as of the last day of the Plan
Year. If a Non-Key Employee is otherwise entitled to receive a minimum
contribution pursuant to this Section 10.6(d), the fact that such Non-Key
Employee failed to complete 1,000 Hours of Service or failed to make any
mandatory or elective contributions under this Plan, if any are so required,
shall not preclude him from receiving such minimum contribution.
10.7 Maximum Benefit Limitation.
For any Plan Year in which the Plan is a top-heavy plan, Section
5.6(d)(1)(B)(i) and Section 5.6(d)(2)(B)(i)shall be read by substituting "1.0"
for "1.25" wherever the latter figure appears; provided, however, that such
substitution shall not have the effect of reducing any benefit accrued under a
defined benefit plan prior to the first day of the plan year in which this
Section 10.8 becomes applicable.
10.8 Vesting.
(a) For any Plan Year in which the Plan is a top-heavy plan, a
Participant's Employer account shall continue to vest according to the schedule
set forth in Section 7.2.
(b) For purposes of Section 10.8(a), the term "year of service" shall have
the same meaning as set forth in Section 1.1(kk), as modified by Section 3.2
(c) If for any Plan Year the Plan becomes top-heavy and the vesting
schedule set forth in Section 10.8(a) becomes effective, then, even if the Plan
ceases to be top-heavy in any subsequent Plan Year, the vesting schedule set
forth in Section 10.8(a) shall remain applicable with respect to any Participant
who has completed 3 Years of Service.
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ARTICLE XI
ADMINISTRATION
11.1 Appointment of Administrator.
This Plan shall be administered by a committee consisting of up to five
persons, whether or not Employees or Participants, who shall be appointed from
time to time by the Board of Directors to serve at its pleasure. The Sponsor
may require that each person appointed as an Administrator shall signify his
acceptance by filing an acceptance with the Sponsor. The term "Administrator"
as used in this Plan shall refer to the members of the committee, either
individually or collectively, as appropriate. In the event that the Sponsor
shall elect not to appoint any individuals to constitute a committee to
administer the Plan, the Sponsor shall serve as the Administrator hereunder.
11.2 Resignation or Removal of Administrator.
An Administrator shall have the right to resign at any time by giving
notice in writing, mailed or delivered to the Employer and to the Trustee. Any
Administrator who was an employee of the Employer at the time of his appointment
shall be deemed to have resigned as an Administrator upon his termination of
Service. The Board of Directors may, in its discretion, remove any
Administrator with or without cause, by giving notice in writing, mailed or
delivered to the Administrator and to the Trustee.
11.3 Appointment of Successors: Terms of Office, Etc.
Upon the death, resignation or removal of an Administrator, the Employer
may appoint, by Board of Directors' resolution, a successor or successors.
Notice of termination of an Administrator and notice of appointment of a
successor shall be made by the Employer in writing, with copies mailed or
delivered to the Trustee, and the successor shall have all the rights and
privileges and all of the duties and obligations of the predecessor.
11.4 Powers and Duties of Administrator.
The Administrator shall have the following duties and responsibilities in
connection with the administration of this Plan:
(a) To promulgate and enforce such rules, regulations and procedures as
shall be proper for the efficient administration of the Plan, such rules,
regulations and procedures to apply uniformly to all Employees, Participants and
Beneficiaries;
(b) To determine all questions arising in the administration,
interpretation and application of the Plan, including questions of eligibility
and of the status and rights of Participants, Beneficiaries and any other
persons hereunder;
45
(c) To decide any dispute arising hereunder strictly in accordance with the
terms of the Plan; provided, however, that no Administrator shall participate in
any matter involving any questions relating solely to his own participation or
benefits under this Plan;
(d) To advise the Employer and the Trustee regarding the known future needs
for funds to be available for distribution in order that the Trustee may
establish investments accordingly;
(e) To correct defects, supply omissions and reconcile inconsistencies to
the extent necessary to effectuate the Plan;
(f) To advise the Employer of the maximum deductible contribution to the
Plan for each fiscal year;
(g) To direct the Trustee concerning all payments which shall be made out
of the Fund pursuant to the provisions of this Plan;
(h) To advise the Trustee on all terminations of Service by Participants,
unless the Employer has so notified the Trustee;
(i) To confer with the Trustee on the settling of any claims against the
Fund;
(j) To make recommendations to the Board of Directors with respect to
proposed amendments to the Plan and the Trust Agreement;
(k) To file all reports with government agencies, Employees and other
parties as may be required by law, whether such reports are initially the
obligation of the Employer, the Plan or the Trustee; and
(l) To have all such other powers as may be necessary to discharge its
duties hereunder.
Reasonable discretion is granted to the Administrator to affect the
benefits, rights and privileges of Participants, Beneficiaries or other persons
affected by this Plan. The Administrator shall exercise reasonable discretion
under the terms of this Plan and shall administer the Plan strictly in
accordance with its terms, such administration to be exercised uniformly so that
all persons similarly situated shall be similarly treated.
11.5 Action by Administrator.
The Administrator may elect a Chairman and Secretary from among its members
and may adopt rules for the conduct of its business. A majority of the members
then serving shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. All
resolutions or other action taken by the Administrator shall be by vote of a
majority of those present at such meeting and entitled to vote. Resolutions may
be adopted or other action taken without a meeting upon written consent signed
by at least a majority of the members. All documents, instruments, orders,
requests, directions,
46
instructions and other papers shall be executed on behalf of the Administrator
by either the Chairman or the Secretary of the Administrator, if any, or by any
member or agent of the Administrator duly authorized to act on the
Administrator's behalf.
11.6 Participation by Administrators.
No Administrator shall be precluded from becoming a Participant in the Plan
if he would be otherwise eligible, but he shall not be entitled to vote or act
upon matters or to sign any documents relating specifically to his own
participation under the Plan, except when such matters or documents relate to
benefits generally. If this disqualification results in the lack of a quorum,
then the Board of Directors shall appoint a sufficient number of temporary
Administrators who shall serve for the sole purpose of determining such a
question.
11.7 Agents.
The Administrator may employ agents and provide for such clerical, legal,
actuarial, accounting, medical, advisory or other services as it deems necessary
to perform its duties under this Plan. The cost of such services and all other
expenses incurred by the Administrator in connection with the administration of
the Plan shall be paid from the Fund, unless paid by the Employer.
11.8 Allocation of Duties.
The duties, powers and responsibilities reserved to the Administrator may
be allocated among its members so long as such allocation is pursuant to written
procedures adopted by the Administrator, in which case, except as may be
required by the Act, no Administrator shall have any liability, with respect to
any duties, powers or responsibilities not allocated to him, for the acts of
omissions of any other Administrator.
11.9 Delegation of Duties.
The Administrator may delegate any of its duties to other employees of the
Employer, to the Trustee with its consent, or to any other person or firm,
provided that the Administrator shall prudently choose such agents and rely in
good faith on their actions.
11.10 Administrator's Action Conclusive.
Any action on matters within the authority of the Administrator shall be
final and conclusive except as provided in Article XII.
11.11 Compensation and Expenses of Administrator.
No Administrator who is receiving compensation from the Employer as a full-
time employee, as a director or agent, shall be entitled to receive any
compensation or fee for his
47
services hereunder. Any other Administrator shall be entitled to receive such
reasonable compensation for his services as an Administrator hereunder as may be
mutually agreed upon between the Employer and such Administrator. Any such
compensation shall be paid from the Fund, unless paid by the Employer. Each
Administrator shall be entitled to reimbursement by the Employer for any
reasonable and necessary expenditures incurred in the discharge of his duties.
11.12 Records and Reports.
The Administrator shall maintain adequate records of its actions and
proceedings in administering this Plan and shall file all reports and take all
other actions as it deems appropriate in order to comply with the Act, the Code
and governmental regulations issued thereunder.
11.13 Reports of Fund Open to Participants.
The Administrator shall keep on file, in such form as it shall deem
convenient and proper, all annual reports of the Fund received by the
Administrator from the Trustee, and a statement of each Participant's interest
in the Fund as from time to time determined. The annual reports of the Fund and
the statement of his own interest in the Fund, as well as a complete copy of the
Plan and the Trust Agreement and copies of annual reports to the Internal
Revenue Service, shall be made available by the Administrator to the Employer
for examination by each Participant during reasonable hours at the office of the
Employer, provided, however, that the statement of a Participant's interest
shall not be made available for examination by any other Participant.
11.14 Named Fiduciary.
The Administrator is the named fiduciary for purposes of the Act and shall
be the designated agent for receipt of service of process on behalf of the Plan.
It shall use ordinary care and diligence in the performance of its duties under
this Plan. Nothing in this Plan shall preclude the Employer from indemnifying
the Administrator for all actions under this Plan, or from purchasing liability
insurance to protect it with respect to its duties under this Plan.
11.15 Information from Employer.
The Employer shall promptly furnish all necessary information to the
Administrator to permit it to perform its duties under this Plan. The
Administrator shall be entitled to rely upon the accuracy and completeness of
all information furnished to it by the Employer, unless it knows or should have
known that such information is erroneous.
11.16 Reservation of Rights by Employer.
Where rights are reserved in this Plan to the Employer, such rights shall
be exercised only by action of the Board of Directors, except where the Board of
Directors, by written resolution, delegates any such rights to one or more
officers of the Employer or to the Administrator.
48
Subject to the rights reserved to the Board of Directors acting on behalf of the
Employer as set forth in this Plan, no member of the Board of Directors shall
have any duties or responsibilities under this Plan, except to the extent he
shall be acting in the capacity of an Administrator or Trustee.
11.17 Liability and Indemnification.
(a) The Administrator shall perform all duties required of it under this
Plan in a prudent manner. To the extent not prohibited by the Act, the
Administrator shall not be responsible in any way for any action or omission of
the Employer, the Trustee or any other fiduciaries in the performance of their
duties and obligations set forth in this Plan and in the Trust Agreement. To
the extent not prohibited by the Act, the Administrator shall also not be
responsible for any act or omission of any of its agents, or with respect to
reliance upon advice of its counsel (whether or not such counsel is also counsel
to the Employer or the Trustee), provided that such agents or counsel were
prudently chosen by the Administrator and that the Administrator relied in good
faith upon the action of such agent or the advice of such counsel.
(b) The Administrator shall not be relieved from responsibility or
liability for any responsibility, obligation or duty imposed upon it under this
Plan or under the Act. Except for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct
or willful breach of the terms of this Plan, the Administrator shall be
indemnified and held harmless by the Employer against liability or losses
occurring by reason of any act or omission of the Administrator to the extent
that such indemnification does not violate the Act or any other federal or state
laws.
11.18 Service as Trustee and Administrator.
Nothing in this Plan shall prevent one or more Trustees from serving as
Administrator under this Plan.
49
ARTICLE XII
CLAIMS PROCEDURE
12.1 Notice of Denial.
If a Participant or his Beneficiary is denied any benefits under this Plan,
either in whole or in part, the Administrator shall advise the claimant in
writing of the amount of his benefit, if any, and the specific reasons for the
denial. The Administrator shall also furnish the claimant at that time with a
written notice containing:
(a) A specific reference to pertinent Plan provisions;
(b) A description of any additional material or information necessary for
the claimant to perfect his claim, if possible, and an explanation of why such
material or information is needed; and
(c) An explanation of the Plan's claim review procedure.
12.2 Right to Reconsideration.
Within 60 days of receipt of the information described in 12.1 above, the
claimant shall, if he desires further review, file a written request for
reconsideration with the Administrator.
12.3 Review of Documents.
So long as the claimant's request for review is pending (including the
60-day period described in Section 12.2 above), the claimant or his duly
authorized representative may review pertinent Plan documents and the Trust
Agreement (and any pertinent related documents) and may submit issues and
comments in writing to the Administrator.
12.4 Decision by Administrator.
A final and binding decision shall be made by the Administrator within 60
days of the filing by the claimant of his request for reconsideration; provided,
however, that if the Administrator feels that a hearing with the claimant or his
representative present is necessary or desirable, this period shall be extended
an additional 60 days.
12.5 Notice by Administrator.
The Administrator's decision shall be conveyed to the claimant in
writing and shall include specific reasons for the decision, written in a manner
calculated to be understood by the claimant, with specific references to the
pertinent Plan provisions on which the decision is based.
50
ARTICLE XIII
AMENDMENTS, TERMINATION AND MERGER
13.1 Amendments.
The Employer reserves the right at any time and from time to time, and
retroactively if deemed necessary or appropriate by it, to the extent
permissible under law, to conform with governmental regulations or other
policies, to amend in whole or in part any or all of the provisions of this
Plan, provided that:
(a) No amendment shall make it possible for any part of the Fund to be used
for, or diverted to, purposes other than for the exclusive benefit of
Participants or their Beneficiaries under the Trust Agreement, except to the
extent provided in Section 4.4;
(b) No amendment may, directly or indirectly, reduce the vested portion of
any Participant's interest as of the effective date of the amendment or change
the vesting schedule with respect to the future accrual of Employer
contributions for any Participants unless each Participant with three or more
Years of Service with the Employer is permitted to elect to have the vesting
schedule in effect before the amendment used to determine his vested benefit;
(c) No amendment may eliminate an optional form of benefit;
(d) No amendment may increase the duties of the Trustee without its
consent; and
(e) No amendment that shall change any of the following types of provisions
shall be made more than once every six months, other than to comport with
changes in the Code, the Act or the regulations thereunder: (i) any provision
stating the amount and price of Employer Securities to be awarded to designated
officers and directors or categories of officers and directors; (ii) any
provisions specifying the timing of awards or allocations to officers and
directors; (iii) any provision setting forth a formula that determines the
amount, price and timing of allocations or awards, using objective criteria such
as earnings of the issuer, value of the Employer Securities, Years of Service,
job classification and Compensation levels.
Amendments may be made in the form of Board of Directors' resolutions or
separate written document. Copies of all amendments shall be delivered to the
Trustee.
13.2 Consolidation, Merger or Other Transactions of Employer.
Nothing in this Plan shall prevent the consolidation, merger,
reorganization or liquidation of the Employer, or prevent the sale by Employer
of any or all of its property. Any successor corporation or other entity formed
and resulting from any such transaction shall have the right to become a party
to this Plan by adopting the same by resolution and by appointing a new Trustee
as though the Trustee had resigned in accordance with the Trust Agreement, and
by
51
executing a proper supplemental agreement with the Trustee. If, within 180 days
from the effective date of such transaction, such new entity does not become a
party to this Plan as above provided, this Plan shall automatically be
terminated and the Trustee shall make payments to the persons entitled thereto
in accordance with Section 9.5.
13.3 Consolidation or Merger of Trust.
In the event of any merger or consolidation of the Fund with, or transfer
in whole or in part of the assets and liabilities of the Fund to, another trust
fund held under any other plan of deferred compensation maintained or to be
established for the benefit of all or some of the Participants of this Plan, the
assets of the Fund applicable to such Participants shall be transferred to the
other trust fund only if:
(a) Each Participant would receive a benefit under such successor trust
fund immediately after the merger, consolidation or transfer which is equal to
or greater than the benefit he would have been entitled to receive immediately
before the merger, consolidation or transfer (determined as if this Plan and
such transferee trust fund had then terminated);
(b) Resolutions of the Board of Directors under this Plan, or of any new or
successor employer of the affected Participants, shall authorize such transfer
of assets, and, in the case of the new or successor employer of the affected
Participants, its resolutions shall include an assumption of liabilities with
respect to such Participants' inclusion in the new employer's plan; and
(c) Such other plan and trust are qualified under Sections 401(a) and
501(a) of the Code.
13.4 Bankruptcy or Insolvency of Employer.
In the event of (a) the Employer's legal dissolution or liquidation by any
procedure other than a consolidation or merger, (b) the Employer's receivership,
insolvency, or cessation of its business as a going concern, or (c) the
commencement of any proceeding by or against the Employer under the federal
bankruptcy laws, and similar federal or state statute, or any federal or state
statute or rule providing for the relief of debtors, compensation of creditors,
arrangement, receivership, liquidation or any similar event which is not
dismissed within 30 days, this Plan shall terminate automatically on such date
(provided, however, that if a proceeding is brought against the Employer for
reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code or any
similar federal or state statute, then this Plan shall terminate automatically
if and when said proceeding results in a liquidation of the Employer, or the
approval of any Plan providing therefor, or the proceeding is converted to a
case under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code or any similar conversion to a
liquidation proceeding under federal or state law including, but not limited to,
a receivership proceeding). In the event of any such termination as provided in
the foregoing sentence, the Trustee shall make payments to the persons entitled
thereto in accordance with Section 9.5 hereof.
52
13.5 Voluntary Termination.
The Board of Directors reserves the right to terminate this Plan at any time by
giving to the Trustee and the Administrator notice in writing of such desire to
terminate. The Plan shall terminate upon the date of receipt of such notice,
the interests of all Participants shall become fully vested, and the Trustee
shall make payments to each Participant or Beneficiary in accordance with
Section 9.5. Alternatively, the Employer, in its discretion, may determine to
continue the Trust Agreement and to continue the maintenance of the Fund, in
which event distributions shall be made upon the contingencies and in all the
circumstances which would have been entitled such distributions on a fully
vested basis, had there been no termination of the Plan.
13.6 Partial Termination of Plan or Permanent Discontinuance of
Contributions.
In the event that a partial termination of the Plan shall be deemed to have
occurred, or if the Employer shall discontinue completely its contributions
hereunder, the right of each affected Participant to his interest in the Fund
shall be fully vested. The Employer, in its discretion, shall decide whether to
direct the Trustee to make immediate distribution of such portion of the Fund
assets to the persons entitled thereto or to make distribution in the
circumstances and contingencies which would have controlled such distributions
if there had been no partial termination or discontinuance of contributions.
53
ARTICLE XIV
MISCELLANEOUS
14.1 No Diversion of Funds.
It is the intention of the Employer that it shall be impossible for any
part of the corpus or income of the Fund to be used for, or diverted to,
purposes other than for the exclusive benefit of the Participants or their
Beneficiaries, except to extent that a return of the Employer's contribution is
permitted under Section 4.4.
14.2 Liability Limited.
Neither the Employer nor the Administrator, nor any agents, employees,
officers, directors or shareholders of any of them, nor the Trustee, nor any
other person shall have any liability or responsibility with respect to this
Plan, except as expressly provided herein.
14.3 Incapacity.
If the Administrator shall receive evidence satisfactory to it that a
Participant or Beneficiary entitled to receive any benefit under the Plan is, at
the time when such benefit becomes payable, a minor, or is physically or
mentally incompetent to receive such benefit and to give a valid release
therefor, and that another person or an institution is then maintaining or has
custody of such Participant or Beneficiary, and that no guardian, committee or
other representative of the estate of such Participant or Beneficiary shall have
been duly appointed, the Administrator may direct the Trustee to make payment of
such benefit otherwise payable to such Participant or Beneficiary, to such other
person or institution, including a custodian under a Uniform Gifts to Minor Act,
or corresponding legislation (who shall be an adult, a guardian of the minor or
a trust company), and the release of such other person or institution shall be a
valid and complete discharge for the payment of such benefit.
14.4 Spendthrift Clause.
Except as permitted by the Act or the Code, no benefits or other amounts
payable under the Plan shall be subject in any manner to anticipation, sale,
transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, charge or alienation. If the
Administrator determines that any person entitled to any payments under the Plan
has become insolvent or bankrupt or has attempted to anticipate, sell, transfer,
assign, pledge, encumber, charge or otherwise in any manner alienate any benefit
or other amount payable to him under the Plan or that there is any danger of any
levy or attachment or other court process or encumbrance on the part of any
creditor of such person entitled to payments under the Plan against any benefit
or other accounts payable to such person, the Administrator may, at any time, in
its discretion, direct the Trustee to withhold any or all payments to such
person under the Plan and apply the same for the benefit of such person, in such
manner and in such proportion as the Administrator may deem proper.
54
14.5 Benefits Limited to Fund.
All contributions by the Employer to the Fund shall be voluntary, and the
Employer shall be under no legal liability to make any such contributions. The
benefits of this Plan shall be only as can be provided by the assets of the
Fund, and no liability for the payment of benefits under the Plan or for any
loss of assets due to any action or inaction of the Trustee shall be imposed
upon the Employer.
14.6 Cooperation of Parties.
All parties to this Plan and any party claiming interest hereunder agree to
perform any and all acts and execute any and all documents and papers which are
necessary and desirable for carrying out this Plan or any of its provisions.
14.7 Payments Due Missing Persons.
The Administrator shall direct the Trustee to make a reasonable effort to
locate all persons entitled to benefits under the Plan; however, notwithstanding
any provision in the Plan to the contrary, if, after a period of five years from
the date such benefit shall be due, any such persons entitled to benefits have
not been located, their rights under the Plan shall stand suspended. Before
this provision becomes operative, the Trustee shall send a certified letter to
all such persons at their last known address advising them that their interest
in benefits under the Plan shall be suspended. Any such suspended amounts shall
be held by the Trustee for a period of three additional years (or a total of
eight years from the time the benefits first became payable), and thereafter
such amounts shall be reallocated among current Participants in the same manner
that a current contribution would be allocated. However, if a person
subsequently makes a valid claim with respect to such reallocated amounts and
any earnings thereon, the Plan earnings or the Employer's contribution to be
allocated for the year in which the claim shall be paid shall be reduced by the
amount of such payment. Any such suspended amounts shall be handled in a manner
not inconsistent with regulations issued by the Internal Revenue Service and
Department of Labor.
14.8 Governing Law.
This Plan has been executed in the State of Washington and all questions
pertaining to its validity, construction and administration shall be determined
in accordance with the laws of that State, except to the extent superseded by
the Act.
14.9 Nonguarantee of Employment.
Nothing contained in this Plan shall be construed as a contract of
employment between the Employer and any Employee, or as a right of any Employee
to be continued in the employment of the Employer, or as a limitation of the
right of the Employer to discharge any of its Employees, with or without cause.
55
14.10 Counsel.
The Trustee and the Administrator may consult with legal counsel, who may
be counsel for the Employer and for the Administrator or the Trustee (as the
case may be), with respect to the meaning or construction of this Plan and the
Trust Agreement, their respective obligations or duties hereunder or with
respect to any action or proceeding or any question of law, and they shall be
fully protected with respect to any action taken or omitted by them in good
faith pursuant to the advice of legal counsel.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Sponsor has caused this Plan to be executed by its
duly authorized officer and its corporate seal to be affixed on this ____ day of
________, 1997.
Attest: TIMBERLAND SAVINGS BANK, SSB
By:
- ------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
Secretary Clarence E. Hamre
President and Chief Executive Officer
56