Top Stories                                                                                

CEO Exit Pay Examined
An analysis of severance packages at Fortune 250 companies

Like so many other aspects of executive compensation, severance packages for executive officers are a recurring theme in today's headlines. While so-called "golden parachute" payments are under acute pressure at financial services firms participating in the TARP plan, they are often a high-profile element of pay packages at all companies. Read More (+).

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Clawbacks Remain in the Spotlight
Will TARP lead to accelerated adoption of clawback policies?

Clawback policies, which allow companies to recoup compensation from executive officers, have enjoyed a surge in popularity over the past three years. As our most recent study on clawback policies shows, their prevalence at publicly traded Fortune 100 companies grew from 17.6 percent in 2006 to 64.7 percent in 2008. Read More (+).

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10b5-1 Plans Reverse Course in 2008
Use of stock trading plans declines at S&P 500 companies

Although 10b5-1 stock trading plans remain one of the best defenses against accusations of insider trading, their use declined considerably in 2008 at S&P 500 companies. This decline may be the result of several factors, including SEC investigations into the design and use of stock trading plans in late 2007 and early 2008. Read More (+).

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Equilar in the News                                                                   

To help you monitor the latest executive compensation headlines, we selected several recent news articles featuring Equilar data and research. Visit the news and publications section of our website to read the complete listing of our new media mentions.

In Curbing Pay, Obama Seeks to Alter Corporate Culture February 5, 2009
"In 2007, the latest year that figures are available, the largest participants in the bailout program paid their chief executives an average compensation of $11 million, including salary, bonus and benefits. Of that amount, according to a review by Equilar, an executive compensation firm, only about $844,000 was cash salary."
Scrutiny of Bankers' Perks Will Grow, Too February 5, 2009
"The perks are widespread. Across the industry, banks and their boards have been spending handsomely on supplemental benefits to augment salaries and burnish their corporate image, according to an analysis prepared for The New York Times by the executive compensation firm Equilar."
Executive Pay: Will The Big Bucks Stop Here? February 4, 2009
"According to Equilar, which tracks executive compensation, companies with $10 billion or more in assets that took taxpayer money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) paid their CEO an average of $11 million last year, including an average cash bonus of $2.5 million. By contrast, Obama is capping pay at $500,000, with no short-term bonus."
Market Leaves Firms Running Out of Stock Options February 2, 2009
"Stock squeezes are common at companies whose shares have dropped 50% or more over the past year. Based on last year's results, that would cover nearly one-third of the companies in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index and dozens of smaller companies. Compensation data-tracker Equilar Inc. is receiving more research requests related to equity-grant practices and stock-option exchanges."
Admiration Turns to Anger as Wall St. Bosses Feather Nests January 31, 2009
"'Most people would agree that some people should make more than others, whether that's based on skill level or education,' said Alexander Cwirko-Godycki, research manager at Equilar, an executive compensation analysis firm. 'It comes down to each individual's perception of what appropriate is. Is it $100,000? 10 million? 100 million?'"
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