Events

ESOPs can transform businesses into high-performance organizations. But to do that, companies need to find ways to fully engage employee owners and develop an effective ownership culture. Employee surveys are a good way to engage employees and gauge their perspectives on the fundamental aspect of your ownership culture and what needs to be done to move forward. 

How well educated are your employees about financial wellness? As employee-owners, they have more possibilities and more to think about. This series of conversations with ESOP financial advice experts Peter Newman of Peak Wealth Planning and Jamie Waldren of Wells Fargo Retirement Advisory Services is packed with tools that you can use to help educate your management team and employees.          

This session is an overview of the main features of employee stock ownership plans. It is appropriate for people familiar with basic business and finance topics  but new to ESOPs and for those responsible for ESOP Communication.

This webinar provides a basic understanding of the process of completing a repurchase forecast and the factors and assumptions that affect the outcome of forecast, including the impact of specific plan provisions (such as distribution timing and segregating accounts), the impact of the distribution mechanics (recycling vs. redeeming), and interplay between the stock value and the repurchase obligation.

There are several ways to finance the repurchase obligation, including "pay-as-you-go" funding, pre-funding, paying dividends/S corporation distributions, corporate-owned life insurance, and incurring debt, i.e., releveraging the ESOP. The methods for handling repurchased shares, i.e., redeeming or recycling, will also be discussed. This webinar will cover the mechanics as well as the pros and cons of each.

Closely held ESOP companies have a specific legal obligation to buy back stock from departing and diversifying employees. This webinar will describe these requirements and explore than various alternative approaches you can use on such issues as the timing, form, and requirements for distributions, including lump-sum versus installment payments, account segregation at termination, changing when the distribution occurs, diversification requirements, what valuation to use, and more.

Most ESOP companies value creating a workplace where people feel included, can grow and develop, and can contribute meaningfully to the success of the company.  While many companies understand the business case and already recognize the value of employing a diverse workforce and cultivating a culture of inclusion, they struggle with knowing where and how to start and what to do to keep the momentum moving forward. This webinar is appropriate for all levels of experience to learn practical strategies.

ESOP fiduciaries and others responsible for the annual ESOP appraisal need to understand the interaction between their companies' S corporation statement and the valuation. The benefits of being an S corporation ESOP add several layers of complexity to the annual valuation. For example, ESOP shares are valued by law at the price a "willing buyer" would pay, but there is no guarantee that this hypothetical willing buyer would be an S corporation or have an ESOP. Does that make it impossible for the appraisal firm to consider the S corporation ESOP tax shield? If not, how should it affect the annual valuation? Does the appropriate valuation method change for initial transactions, ongoing operation, or in evaluating a potential sale of the company? What's the difference between valuation for a 100% ESOP-owned S corporation and one where the ESOP has a smaller stake?

This webinar will explore the theories advanced in legal cases, potential defenses to such claims, how courts have handled these claims in recent cases, and considerations for structuring these types of payments to mitigate risk.