SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 11-K [X] Annual Report Pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Fee Required) For The Year Ended December 31, 1996 or [] Transition Report Pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (No Fee Required) For The Transition Period from ________ to________ Commission File Number 00107923 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN -------------- (Full title of the Plan) HANDLEMAN COMPANY ----------------- (Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the Plan) 500 Kirts Boulevard Troy, Michigan 48084 -------------------- (Address of principal executive offices) 1 of 16 The following financial statements and exhibits are presented pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934: Page ---- (a) Financial Statements: Report of Independent Accountants I-1 Statement of Assets Available for Benefits as of December 31, 1996 and 1995 I-2 Statement of Changes in Assets Available for Benefits for the year ended December 31, 1996 I-3 Notes to Financial Statements I-4 to I-10 Item 27a -- Schedule of Assets Held for Investment Purposes as of December 31, 1996 I-11 Item 27d -- Schedule of Reportable Transactions I-12 to I-13 for the year ended December 31, 1996 Schedules: Schedule I, II and III have been omitted because the required information is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto, or in another schedule - Exhibit Number ------- (b) 1. Consent of Independent Accountants with respect to their report on their audit of the financial statements of the Handleman Company Salary Deferral and Stock Plan for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1995 28.1 SIGNATURE --------- Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the trustees (or other persons who administer the Plan) have duly caused this annual report to be signed by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN By: /s/ Leonard A. Brams ----------------------------------------------------------- Leonard A. Brams, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Handleman Company 2 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ----------------------------- PAGES ----- Report of Independent Accountants 4 Financial Statements: Statement of Assets Available for Benefits as of December 31, 1996 and 1995 5 Statement of Changes in Assets Available for Benefits for the year ended December 31, 1996 6 Notes to Financial Statements 7-13 Supplemental Schedules: Item 27a - Schedule of Assets Held for Investment Purposes as of December 31, 1996 14 Item 27d - Schedule of Reportable Transactions for the year ended December 31, 1996 15-16 3 of 16 [LETTERHEAD OF COOPERS & LYBRAND] REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS To the Administrative Committee of the Handleman Company Salary Deferral and Stock Plan: We have audited the accompanying statement of assets available for benefits of the Handleman Company Salary Deferral and Stock Plan as of December 31, 1996 and 1995 and the related statement of changes in assets available for benefits for the year ended December 31, 1996. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Plan's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the assets available for benefits of the Handleman Company Salary Deferral and Stock Plan as of December 31, 1996 and 1995, and the changes in assets available for benefits for the year ended December 31, 1996, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. Our audits were performed for the purpose of forming an opinion on the basic financial statements taken as a whole. The supplemental schedules on pages 14 through 16 of this Form 11-K are presented for the purpose of additional analysis and are not a required part of the basic financial statements but are supplementary information required by the Department of Labor's Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The supplemental schedules have been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audits of the basic financial statements and, in our opinion, are fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole. COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P. Detroit, Michigan June 27, 1997 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN STATEMENT OF ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS December 31, 1996 and 1995 -------------------------- 1996 1995 ---------- ---------- ASSETS: Accrued dividends and interest $ 44 $ 7,005 Employee contributions receivable 125,502 137,124 Employer contribution receivable 23,548 34,172 Cash - - Investments at Estimated Fair Value - ----------------------------------- KeyCorp Investments: Employee Benefit Money Market Fund(1), (3,142 shares and 37,462 shares at December 31, 1996 and 1995 respectively) 3,142 37,462 EB-Managed Guaranteed Investment Contract(2) (64,083 shares and 61,505 shares at December 31, 1996 and 1995 respectively) 733,508 663,576 Investments at Fair Value as Determined by Quoted Market Price - ---------------------- KeyCorp Investments: Victory U.S. Government Obligations Fund(3), (64,236 shares and 96,514 shares at December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively) 676,714 616,895 American Balanced Fund(4), (123,540 shares and 95,315 shares at December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively) 1,797,521 1,348,712 Victory Stock Index Fund(5), (191,312 shares and 134,875 shares at December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively) 2,911,769 1,749,331 Handleman Company common stock (6), (169,525 shares and 133,751 shares at December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively) 1,462,153 769,068 Loans to participants at rates of 9.75% to 10.0%, maturing in 4 months to 10 years 112,321 44,081 ---------- ---------- ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS $7,846,222 $5,407,426 ========== ========== (1) The Plan's cost of the investment in the KeyCorp Employee Benefit Money Market Fund was $3,142 and $37,462 as of December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively. (2) The Plan's cost of the investment in the EB-Managed Guaranteed Investment Contract was $685,078 and $648,041 as of December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively. (3) The Plan's cost of the investment in the Victory U.S. Government Obligations Fund was $646,623 and $649,463 as of December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively. (4) The Plan's cost of the investment in the American Balanced Fund was $1,793,599 and $1,385,069 as of December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively. (5) The Plan's cost of investment in the Victory Stock Index Fund was $2,465,095 and $1,624,902 as of December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively. (6) The Plan's cost of the common stock was $1,672,524 and $1,869,858 as of December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively. The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements. I-2 5 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS for the year ended December 31, 1996 ------------------------------------ Additions: 1996 ---------- Employer contributions $ 293,801 Employee authorized contributions 1,690,600 Dividend income 108,278 Interest income 12,119 Net appreciation in fair value of investments 1,097,743 Other 44,372 ---------- Total additions 3,246,913 Deductions: Participants' benefits 744,570 Other 63,547 ---------- Total deductions 808,117 Net increase 2,438,796 Assets available for benefits, beginning of year 5,407,426 ---------- Assets available for benefits, end of year $7,846,222 ========== The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements. I-3 6 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ----------------------------- 1. Description of Plan ------------------- The following description of the Handleman Company Salary Deferral and Stock Plan (the "Plan") provides only general information. Participants should refer to the Plan Document for a complete description of the Plan's provisions. General The Plan is a defined contribution plan which includes salary deferral and employee stock ownership provisions. The Plan covers all employees of the Handleman Company (the "Company") and subsidiaries and affiliates that have adopted the Plan who have one year of service and who are not covered by collective bargaining agreements (unless they specifically refer to the Plan). The Plan is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Contributions Employee authorized contributions of tax deferred compensation are limited in any one year to the lesser of twenty percent of employee compensation or $9,500 in 1995. Effective July 1, 1995, each participant's maximum elective deferral was reduced to fifteen percent. In addition, total contributions by highly compensated employees cannot exceed specific percentage limitations of the aggregate contributions of all other employees as set forth in the Internal Revenue Code. Prior to July 1, 1995, the Company contributed to the Plan at the discretion of its Board of Directors. Effective July 1, 1995, the Plan was amended to provide for a Company matching contribution equal to 25 percent of the elective contribution made by each participant, up to six percent of such participant's compensation, to be invested in Company stock. Plan Assets To the extent practicable, Plan assets related to the Company stock portion of the Plan are invested in Company stock. Employees may direct investment of employee authorized contributions to the Plan into various investment funds which are established by the Company from time to time. Participant Accounts Each participant's account is credited with employee authorized contributions, in addition to an allocation of any Company contribution and Plan earnings, net of Plan expenses. A participant must be employed by the Company on the last day of the Company's fiscal year to receive the allocation of Company contributions. Salary Deferral Portion - Company contributions to the Salary Deferral portion of the Plan are allocated to participants who are eligible as defined by the Plan. There are certain limitations on the amounts which can be allocated. Stock Ownership Portion - Effective May 2, 1994, the Plan was amended to discontinue Company contributions for employees hired after April 30, 1994. As of December 31, 1996, Company contributions for all employees has been discontinued. I-4 7 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, Continued ----------------------------- 1. Description of Plan, continued ------------------- Loans to Participants The Plan allows participants to borrow against their account balances. The maximum loan to any participant is the lesser of 50% of the participant's non-forfeitable salary deferral account balance or $50,000. Plan Expenses Expenses of the Trustee and Administrative Committee are charged to participant accounts unless the Company at its discretion elects to pay these expenses. The Company paid such expenses for the year ended December 31, 1996. Vesting Participants are fully vested in amounts credited to their accounts prior to July 1995. Effective July 1, 1995, the Plan was amended to include a graded vesting schedule for matching contributions of 20 percent for each year of service, resulting in 100 percent vesting after five years of service. Payment of Benefits On termination of service, a participant will be eligible to receive the plan assets allocated to the participant's account and which have vested or an equivalent amount in cash. At December 31, 1996 and 1995, $277,805 and $321,048 respectively, were reported as benefits payable on the Form 5500. 2. Summary of Accounting Policies ------------------------------ Company Contributions Company contributions are accrued in the plan year to which the contributions relate. Company contributions are in the form of Company stock. Investments At the end of the plan year, Company stock is valued at the closing market price of the stock on the last business day of the Plan's year. The EB- Managed Guaranteed Investment Contract Fund, Victory U.S. Government Obligations Fund, American Balanced Fund, Victory Stock Index Fund and Employee Benefit Money Market Fund are reflected at estimated fair values or at the fair value as determined by quoted market prices at the year-end date as reported by the Plan's investment custodian, KeyCorp. The basis on which cost is determined to compute realized gains or losses from sales of investments, other than the Company stock, is average cost. The basis on which cost is determined for the Company stock is specific identification. The Plan presents in the statement of changes in assets the net appreciation (depreciation) in fair value of investments which consists of the realized gains or losses and the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on those investments. For purposes of determining Company contributions, Company stock received as the Company contribution is valued at the closing price on the day the contribution is made. I-5 8 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, Continued ----------------------------- 2. Summary of Accounting Policies, continued ------------------------------ Dividend Income Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date. Dividend income on Company stock for the year ended December 31, 1996 was $6,697. Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of changes in assets during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. 3. Investments ----------- During the Plan year ended December 31, 1996, the Plan's investments (including investments bought and sold, as well as held during the year) appreciated in value by $1,097,743 as follows: Investments at Estimated Fair Value ----------------------------------- KeyCorp Investment: EB-Managed Guaranteed Investment Contract $ 40,567 Investments at Fair Value Determined by Quoted Market Price --------------------- KeyCorp Investments: Victory U.S. Government Obligation Fund 30,450 American Balanced Fund 136,692 Victory Stock Index Fund 423,821 Handleman Company Common Stock 466,213 ---------- $1,097,743 ========== I-6 9 of 16 Fund Information - ---------------- The following is a summary of assets for each investment fund option for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1995 and of changes by investment fund for the year ended December 31, 1996. The Handleman Common Stock Fund includes both participant directed investments as well as investments of company matching contributions. HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN ASSETS AND LIABILITIES BY INVESTMENT PROGRAM DECEMBER 31, 1996 PARTICIPANT DIRECTED ------------------------------------------------------ EB-MANAGED VICTORY U.S. GUARANTEED GOVERNMENT AMERICAN VICTORY HANDLEMAN HANDLEMAN INVESTMENT OBLIGATIONS BALANCED STOCK LOAN ESOP FUND COMMON STOCK CONTRACT FUND FUND INDEX FUND FUND TOTAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assets: Accrued Dividends and Interest 1 38 - - 1 4 - 44 Employer Contributions Receivable - 23,548 - - - - - 23,548 Employee Contributions Receivable - 7,894 13,730 11,057 38,253 54,568 - 125,502 KeyCorp Investments: Employee Benefit Money Market Fund 35 3,107 - - - - - 3,142 EB-Managed Guaranteed Investment - - 733,508 - - - - 733,508 Contract Victory U.S. Government Obligations - - - 676,714 - - - 676,714 Fund American Balanced Fund - - - - 1,797,521 - - 1,797,521 Victory Stock Index Fund - - - - - 2,911,769 - 2,911,769 Handleman Company Common Stock 800,728 661,425 - - - - - 1,462,153 169,525 Shares Loans to Participants - - - - - - 112,321 112,321 --------- ------------ ---------- ------------ --------- ---------- ------- --------- ASSETS AVAILABLE 800,764 696,012 747,238 687,771 1,835,776 2,966,341 112,321 7,846,222 ========= ============ ========== ============ ========= ========== ======= ========= FOR BENEFITS I-7 10 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN ASSETS AND LIABILITIES BY INVESTMENT PROGRAM DECEMBER 31, 1995 PARTICIPANT DIRECTED ------------------------------------------------------- EB-MANAGED VICTORY U.S. GUARANTEED GOVERNMENT AMERICAN VICTORY HANDLEMAN HANDLEMAN INVESTMENT OBLIGATIONS BALANCED STOCK LOAN ESOP FUND COMMON STOCK CONTRACT FUND FUND INDEX FUND FUND TOTAL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assets: Accrued Dividends and Interest 5,680 1,167 32 30 7 89 - 7,005 Employee Contributions Receivable - 34,172 - - - - - 34,172 Employer Contributions Receivable - 9,424 15,694 12,878 44,812 54,316 - 137,124 KeyCorp Investments: Employee Benefit Money Market Fund - 37,462 - - - - - 37,462 EB-Managed Guaranteed Investment Contract - - 663,576 - - - - 663,576 Victory U.S. Government Obligations Fund - - - 616,895 - - - 616,895 American Balanced Fund - - - - 1,348,712 - - 1,348,712 Victory Stock Index Fund - - - - - 1,749,331 - 1,749,331 Handleman Company Common Stock 133,751 Shares 648,531 120,537 - - - - - 769,068 Loans to Participants - - - - - - 44,081 44,081 --------- ------------ ---------- ------------ --------- ---------- ------ --------- ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS 654,211 202,762 679,302 629,803 1,393,531 1,803,736 44,081 5,407,426 ========= ============ ========== ============ ========= ========== ====== ========= I-8 11 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN INCOME AND CHANGES IN EQUITY TO INVESTMENT PROGRAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 PARTICIPANT DIRECTED ---------------------------------------------------------- EB-MANAGED VICTORY U.S. GUARANTEED GOVERNMENT AMERICAN VICTORY HANDLEMAN HANDLEMAN INVESTMENT OBLIGATIONS BALANCED STOCK LOAN ESOP FUND COMMON STOCK CONTRACT FUND FUND INDEX FUND FUND TOTAL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Additions: Total Employer Contributions - 273,294 2,612 2,104 7,200 8,591 - 293,801 Total Employee Contributions - 100,733 188,112 141,036 520,121 740,597 - 1,690,600 Dividend Income - - - 60 60,060 48,158 - 108,278 Total Interest Income 3,746 1,512 142 10 131 227 6,351 12,119 Net appreciation in fair value of investments 264,811 201,402 40,567 30,450 136,692 423,821 1,097,743 Other Receipts 6,041 - - 3,998 - 10 34,323 44,372 ------- ------- ------- ------- --------- --------- ------- --------- Total Additions 274,599 576,941 231,433 177,658 724,204 1,221,405 40,674 3,246,913 Deductions: Participants' benefits 118,483 27,622 125,677 90,316 127,381 255,090 744,570 Transfers Between Funds (25) 49,912 37,619 29,375 154,050 (196,983) (73,957) (8) Other 9,587 6,156 201 (1) 529 692 46,391 63,555 ------- ------- ------- ------- --------- --------- ------- --------- Total Deductions 128,046 83,691 163,497 119,690 281,959 58,800 (27,566) 808,117 ------- ------- ------- ------- --------- --------- ------- --------- Net Increase 146,553 493,250 67,936 57,968 442,245 1,162,605 68,240 2,438,796 Assets Available for Benefits, beginning of year 654,211 202,762 679,302 629,803 1,393,531 1,803,736 44,081 5,407,426 ------- ------- ------- ------- --------- --------- ------- --------- Assets Available for Benefits, end of year 800,764 696,012 747,238 687,771 1,835,776 2,966,341 112,321 7,846,222 ======= ======= ======= ======= ========= ========= ======= ========= I-9 12 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, Continued ------------------------------ 5. Plan Termination ---------------- Although it has not expressed any intent to do so, the Company has the right under the Plan to discontinue its contributions at any time and to terminate the Plan subject to the provisions of ERISA. 6. Tax Status ---------- The Internal Revenue Service has determined and informed the Company by a letter dated May 2, 1997, that the Plan is qualified and the trust established under the Plan is tax-exempt, under the appropriate sections of the Code. I-10 13 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN Form 5500 Calendar Plan year 1996 ITEM 27a, SCHEDULE OF ASSETS HELD FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES --------------------------------------------------------- (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Asterisk Identity of denotes party- issue, borrower Description in-interest to lessor, or of Current the Plan similar party Investment Cost Value - -------------- --------------- ----------- ---- ------- Reporting Criteria I: - -------------------- Investment assets held by the Plan on the last day of the Plan year Employee Benefit Cash Equivalents $ 3,142 $ 3,142 * Money Market Fund * EB-Managed Investment $ 685,078 $ 733,508 Guaranteed Contracts Investment Contract * Victory U.S. Short Term U.S. $ 646,623 $ 676,714 Government Obligations Treasury Securities Fund * American Common Stock and $1,793,599 $1,797,521 Balanced Fund Bond Fund * Victory Stock Common Stock Fund $2,465,095 $2,911,769 Index Fund * Handleman Common Stock $1,672,524 $1,462,153 Company $.01 par value Common Stock * Loans to Interest rates of -0- $ 112,321 Participants 9.75% to 10% and maturing in 4 months to 10 years I-11 14 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN ITEM 27d - SCHEDULE OF REPORTABLE TRANSACTIONS for the year ended December 31, 1996 ------------------------------------ Current Value Purchase Selling Cost of Asset on Net Gain Identity of Party Involved Description of Asset Price Price of Asset Transaction Date or (Loss) - -------------------------- -------------------- -------- --------- --------- ---------------- --------- REPORTING CRITERION I: Any transaction within the plan - --------------------- year, with respect to any plan asset, involving an amount in excess of five percent of the current value of plan assets. See note A below. REPORTING CRITERION II: Any series of transactions (other - ----------------------- than transactions with respect to securities) within the plan year with or in conjunction with the same person which, when aggregated, regardless of the category of asset and the gain or loss on any transaction, involves an amount in excess of five percent of the current value of plan assets. None REPORTING CRITERION III: Any transaction within the plan - ----------------------- year involving securities of the same issue if within the plan year any series of transactions with respect to such securities, when aggregated, involves an amount in excess of five percent of the current value of plan assets. KeyCorp Employee Benefit Money Market Fund 126 purchases - 662,160 units 662,160 662,160 662,160 183 sales - 1,161,392 units 1,161,392 1,161,392 1,161,392 KeyCorp Victory U.S. Government Obligations Fund 60 purchases - 51,279 units 192,096 192,096 192,096 64 sales - 83,556 units 197,809 194,937 197,809 2,872 KeyCorp EB-Managed Guaranteed Investment Contract Fund 33 purchases - 18,431 units 204,920 204,920 204,920 58 sales - 15,853 units 175,556 167,883 175,556 7,673 KeyCorp American/Balanced Fund 52 purchases - 45,583 shares 660,908 660,908 660,908 63 sales - 24,122 shares 348,790 349,815 348,790 (1,025) I-12 15 of 16 HANDLEMAN COMPANY SALARY DEFERRAL AND STOCK PLAN ITEM 27d - SCHEDULE OF REPORTABLE TRANSACTIONS, Concluded for the year ended December 31, 1996 ------------------------------------ Current Value Purchase Selling Cost of Asset on Net Gain Identity of Party Involved Description of Asset Price Price of Asset Transaction Date or (Loss) - -------------------------- -------------------- --------- --------- --------- ---------------- --------- REPORTING CRITERION III: Any transaction within the plan - ----------------------- year involving securities of the same issue if within the plan year any series of transactions with respect to such securities, when aggregated, involves an amount in excess of five percent of the current value of plan assets. (concluded) KeyCorp Victory Stock Index Fund 79 purchases - 79,064 shares 1,121,190 1,121,190 1,121,190 41 sales - 22,627 shares 382,573 280,997 382,573 101,576 KeyCorp Handleman Company Stock 15 purchases - 62,454 shares 385,129 385,129 385,129 29 sales - 25,204 shares 152,089 297,197 152,089 (145,108) REPORTING CRITERION IV: Any transaction within the plan - ---------------------- year with respect to securities with or in conjunction with a person if any prior or subsequent single transaction within the plan year with such person with respect to securities exceeds five percent of the current value of plan assets. None. NOTE A: Transactions already reported under Criteria III are not reported here. I-13 16 of 16