U.S. E&P Sector Slammed for Excessive Executive Compensation, Lack of Oversight

Upstream investor Kimmeridge Energy Management Co. LLC has the U.S. exploration sector in its sights and is calling out the industry for its “lack of alignment” between the executive management teams and their shareholders.

The New York City-based private equity (PE) firm said in a white paper that executive compensation for the exploration and production (E&P) sector was still rising, even though it is “one of the worst performing sectors” in the past decade. READ MORE

5 Executive Pay Issues for 2021

The 2021 executive compensation season will be more challenging than usual for most companies due to the financial and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet these challenges, companies should be aware of several key issues as they design their 2021 executive compensation programs. READ MORE

All About Deferred Compensation 457 Plans

A 457 plan is a lesser-known retirement plan similar to a 401k. But these types of plans come with some added benefits.

First off, it’s worth noting that there are two versions. The 457(b) plan is the more common of the two. The other is the 457(f) plan. Both are IRS-sanctioned, tax-deferred plans. Those who partake are allowed to contribute up to the elective deferral limit of $19,500. But in some cases, workers are allowed to contribute even more. And because these are tax-advantaged plans, that means the interest and earnings aren’t taxed until the funds are withdrawn. READ MORE

ISS FAQ: Executive Compensation and COVID-19

On Oct. 15, 2020, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) released preliminary FAQs on its approach to analyzing executive pay decisions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FAQs, shaped by feedback from direct discussions with investors as well as ISS’ annual policy survey, provide general guidance regarding how ISS U.S. benchmark research may approach COVID-19-related pay decisions in the context of ISS’ pay-for-performance qualitative evaluation. READ MORE

What will San Francisco’s new “CEO tax” actually accomplish?

Last week, voters in San Francisco passed a bevy of new taxes aimed at the top of America’s income brackets. The most striking is Proposition L, informally dubbed the “CEO tax.” By targeting businesses with highly paid executives and low-paid workers, it won approval with a resounding 65% of votes. That makes San Francisco the largest city to enact an idea long championed but seldom enacted in left-leaning circles: a corporate inequality tax. READ MORE

Executive Compensation: Just 6 Percent of Russell 3000 Companies Have Announced COVID-Related Incentive Plan Changes

While the COVID-19 crisis has fundamentally altered the business environment across industries, only 6% of companies in the Russell 3000 Index have announced changes to their incentive compensation plans to date. Moreover, the types of changes made to compensation plans – such as reducing the target or maximum payout, or even cancelling the plan – indicate that executive bonuses for 2020 are on track to be lower than pre-pandemic expectations. READ MORE