Method and system for administering the hedging of an employee deferred compensation plan using swaps

Abstract

A method and system for administering the hedging of an employee deferred compensation plan, e.g., which employs hedging of NQDC plan liabilities using total return swaps and/or put and call options and/or forwards, for tax purposes. A plan coordinator coordinates a transfer of information between an employer/plan sponsor, a plan administrator that communicates with the employees/plan participants, and a balance sheet provider. The plan coordinator receives and reconciles data and then calculates and modifies relevant information for tax purposes and use in reports that are provided to the plan sponsor and balance sheet provider. Calculations and modifications for tax purposes allow the plan sponsor to reap tax benefits from the NQDC plan swap hedge. The reports include an upcoming transactions report, which indicates new compensation deferrals, reallocations of previously deferred compensation among specified indices, and withdrawals.

1 . A method for administering, by at least one programmed computer, a process of hedging of at least a portion of at least one plan notional investment of at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan in which a plan sponsor has hedged its liability under the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan for plan notional investments of deferred compensation amounts, made to a plurality of participants in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan, using at least one hedge instrument comprising at least one total return swap, the method comprising:
 obtaining from at least one source at least the following data:
 a) at least a portion of an initial notional investment or at least a portion of a subsequent notional investment of the at least one plan notional investment of the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan of the plan sponsor wherein the at least one plan notional investment is to be hedged and wherein at least one plan participant in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan is notionally invested in the at least one plan notional investment, or 
   b) at least one current amount hedged in at least one swap reference fund of the at least one total return swap   calculating on at least one programmed computer at least a portion of a required swap notional principal amount in order to hedge at least a portion of the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan liability, based at least in part on:   i) determining an amount of the at least one plan notional investment to be hedged with at least one swap referenced fund, and   ii) where necessary, converting the at least one swap reference fund into at least one fund that is not the at least one plan notional investment;   calculating on at least one programmed computer, based at least in part on the at least a portion of the required swap notional principal amount, at least one adjustment showing the at least one swap notional principal amount for the at least one swap reference fund of the at least one total return swap and at least one amount required to be bought or sold in order to modify the at least one total return swap to hedge the liability of the plan sponsor in the at least a portion of the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan of the plan sponsor; and   providing the at least one adjustment to a swap provider.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein further comprising:
 reconciling the obtained at least one current amount hedged in the at least one swap reference fund of the at least one total return swap with at least one of:   (a) market data about the at least one swap reference fund of the at least one total return swap and   (b) original hedging data used for hedging in the at least one swap reference fund of the at least one total return swap.   
     
     
         3 . A method for administering, by at least one programmed computer, a process of hedging of at least a portion of at least one plan notional investment of at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan in which a plan sponsor has hedged its liability under the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan for plan notional investments of deferred compensation amounts, made to a plurality of participants in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan, using at least one hedging instrument comprising at least one total return swap, the method comprising:
 calculating on at least one programmed computer at least one swap reference fund settlement amount by obtaining a current balance on a current payment settlement date of at least one swap notional principal amount by at least (a) adding at least one notional trade and subtracting a previous balance on a previous payment settlement date for the at least one swap notional principal amount;   calculating on at least one programmed computer at least one swap index leg settlement amount based at least in part on (a) the previous balance on the previous payment settlement date for the at least one swap notional principal amount and (b) at least one swap interest benchmark rate and a number of days between the current and the previous swap settlement dates to calculate the at least one swap index leg settlement amount for at least a portion of the at least one swap notional principal amount;   comparing and reconciling the swap settlement amounts to amounts calculated by a swap provider.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one swap interest benchmark rate is London Interbank Offered Rate. 
     
     
         5 . A method for administering, by at least one programmed computer, a process of hedging of at least a portion of at least one plan notional investment of at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan in which a plan sponsor has hedged its liability under the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan for plan notional investments of deferred compensation amounts, made to a plurality of participants in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan, using at least one hedging instrument comprising at least one total return swap, the method comprising:
 calculating on at least one programmed computer a net exposure for the plan sponsor wherein the net exposure is a difference between at least one first valuation of at least one swap reference fund for at least a portion of at least one swap notional principal amount of the at least one total return swap and at least one second valuation for at least one hedged portion of the plan sponsor's liability in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan; and   reporting the calculated net exposure.   
     
     
         6 . A method for administering, by at least one programmed computer, a process of hedging of at least a portion of at least one plan notional investment of at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan in which a plan sponsor has hedged its liability under the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan for plan notional investments of deferred compensation amounts, made to a plurality of participants in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan, using at least one hedging instrument comprising at least one total return swap, the method comprising:
 calculating on at least one programmed computer a net profit and loss for the plan sponsor wherein the net profit and loss is a difference between a profit and loss realized on the at least one total return swap for at least a portion of a swap notional principal amount and a profit and loss realized on at least one hedged portion of the plan sponsor's liability in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan, and   reporting the calculated net profit and loss.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein further comprising:
 calculating on at least one programmed computer at least one attribution for the difference between the profit and loss realized on the at least one total return swap for at least a portion of a swap notional principal amount and the profit and loss realized on at least one hedged portion of the plan sponsor's liability in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan, wherein the at least one attribution is based on at least one of:   a) at least one difference in timing between at least one change in at least one investment allocation between the notional investments of the plan sponsor's nonqualified deferred compensation plan and at least one change in allocation between at least one swap reference fund of the at least one total return swap, and   b) at least one difference between returns for the notional investments of the plan sponsor's nonqualified deferred compensation plan and returns for the at least one swap reference fund of the at least one total return swap.   
     
     
         8 . A method for administering, by at least one programmed computer, a process of hedging of at least a portion of at least one plan notional investment of at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan in which a plan sponsor has hedged its liability under the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan for plan notional investments of deferred compensation amounts, made to a plurality of participants in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan, using at least one hedging instrument comprising at least one total return swap, the method comprising:
 obtaining by at least one programmed computer from at least one source at least the following data:
 a) at least one notional investment amount for at least one plan participant in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan offered by the plan sponsor, comprising at least one of:
 i) at least one allocation into at least one plan notional investment for the at least one plan participant, 
 ii) at least one additional deferral for the at least one plan participant to the plan sponsor's at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan, 
 iii) at least one distribution for the at least one plan participant from the plan sponsor's at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan, and 
 
 b) at least one amount paid to and received from the plan sponsor and a swap provider, based at least in part on the at least one total return swap, wherein the at least one amount comprising at least one of:
 i) at least one swap index leg settlement or accrued amount, 
 ii) at least one swap reference fund settlement or accrued amount, 
 iii) at least one change in at least one notional principal amount of the at least one total return swap, and 
 iv) at least one change in at least one swap reference fund allocation for the at least one total return swap; 
 
   calculating on at least one programmed computer at least one swap settlement or accrued amounts for the at least one plan participant and at least one return or loss attributable to at least swap reference fund, subaggregated to each plan participant in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan;   storing and accumulating on at least one programmed computer the subaggregated total swap settlement or accrued amounts attributable to each plan participant in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan offered by the plan sponsor; and   reporting by at least one programmed computer the accumulated swap settlement or accrued amounts for each plan participant in the plan sponsor's at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein further comprising:
 reducing on at least one programmed computer the accumulated total swap settlement or accrued amounts for each plan participant, by an amount that is equal to a current accrued amount for a particular plan participant divided by a mathematically allocable share of any distributions paid to the particular plan participant under the plan sponsor's at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan during a specified period.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one notional investment amount for at least one plan participant in the at least one nonqualified deferred compensation plan offered by the plan sponsor, further comprising at least one change in at least one notional investment for the at least one plan participant.