In your business, you plan for next month, next quarter, next year.

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1 In your business, you plan for next month, next quarter, next year. Have you planned for your company s survival? Business Succession & Executive Compensation Planning

2 It s taken guts, savvy and sheer determination, but you ve done it.

3 You ve turned your vision into a successful business. But if you want your business to grow and prosper for generations to come, you need a plan that creates solutions for your organization and your employees. Lincoln Financial Advisors is a nationwide organization of financial planning professionals who specialize in identifying and resolving complex estate, business transfer, retirement and investment problems. We have a long and proud history of helping to meet the needs of business owners, executives, professionals and retirees. Our process proceeds through two primary steps: first, to fully understand and analyze the specifics of your financial situation and, then, to provide you with the information, advice and alternatives you need to make the appropriate decisions about your financial future. Each of our financial plans is designed to help meet your unique needs, circumstances and objectives.

4 Keep your business going...now and in the future. Everyone who owns a business must face the inevitability of business succession. Yet, 19% of family business owners have not completed any estate planning other than writing a will. Perhaps that s why roughly 30% of all family owned businesses survive into the second generation, 12% are viable only into the third generation, and a mere 3% operate at fourth-generation level and beyond. 1 Questions to consider Whether your business will be among the going concerns for years to come depends, in part, on your written succession plan. If you haven t formalized your plans yet, here are some questions to consider: Who will take over your business when you retire, become disabled, or unexpectedly die? Is this person properly equipped and experienced to do the job? Will your customers, employees and family members support this person? Will it be possible for your family to sell the business for fair value if necessary? Where will the money to fund a buy-out come from? Will the buyer be able to guarantee full payment? If you already have begun succession planning, make sure you have: Identified a successor with the requisite skills, knowledge and experience. Communicated the plan to all relevant parties. Made arrangements for how to deal with key employees and/or family members involved in the business who will not succeed you as owner. Drawn up and funded a formal buy-sell agreement. Succession planning strategies Business succession planning is not a static event, but rather an ongoing process that, over time, can provide you with the ability to accomplish identified goals. Our associates are specialists in business succession planning strategies, including buy-sell agreements (such as stock redemption and cross-purchase agreements), the use of life insurance, grantor-retained annuity trusts and family limited partnerships. We can work with you to develop strategies that maximize control if you wish, while still allowing the business to smoothly transition whenever you choose. Transferring a business in the most tax-advantageous way is often the primary reason to plan, but other issues exist that are equally as important. Spousal support, equalization among children, early inheritance, guardianship and asset management are all examples of issues that need to be addressed as part of an overall succession plan. Reward key employees. Once your business succession plan is in place, it s time to turn your attention to executive compensation planning. After all, your company is successful because of the employees you have hired and kept. You have come to depend on them, and they, in turn, depend on you. Yet traditional benefits may not be enough to retain your key employees. We can show you how executive compensation planning allows you to reward superior performance, provide extra incentive, and attract and retain key people. Flexibility is the hallmark of an executive compensation plan. In fact, you can establish a plan that provides benefits to one or more key persons, or a select group of management executives, with different plans for different individuals. 1 Family Firm Institute (

5 Solutions as unique as you are. You ll find that working with Lincoln Financial Advisors is a unique experience. Our financial planning process puts the emphasis on you and your needs, not on a pre-packaged set of solutions or ideas. We are committed to providing you with the information you need to make timely, informed decisions about your financial future. The benefits of this approach are quickly apparent you enjoy a greater understanding of the impact of various options and are better positioned to make the appropriate decisions. In addition to our educational approach, there are other benefits that a Lincoln Financial Advisors representative can offer: Exclusivity We do not claim to be all things to all people. We specialize in the challenges faced by hard-working, successful business owners, professionals, executives and retirees people who are responsible, respected leaders in their industries, professions and communities. As specialists, we have developed a thorough understanding of the unique problems and opportunities that confront our clients. And that translates into a proven ability to obtain measurable and meaningful results for you. Coordination of services Many of our clients have trusted, long-term advisors an attorney, a CPA, a broker who have already helped them with some of the estate, retirement and business succession planning. Our work both supplements and coordinates the services these advisors provide. Our efforts help ensure that your plans maximize the benefits to you and your family. While each of your existing advisors may be an experienced specialist, we offer a more comprehensive level of financial planning to individuals than they usually see. Specifically, we look at all areas of your financial plan and pull them together in a cross-disciplinary manner to most effectively help meet your financial security and asset preservation needs and objectives. Personal evaluation Our goal is to get to know you, and what s important to you. We take the time to understand your situation and requirements. We then provide you with the resources you need to make the appropriate decision about your future. We offer you information that s relevant, timely and, above all, understandable. We provide advice based on years of experience. And we offer clear-cut alternatives with perspective so that the decisions you make today are still appropriate tomorrow. Finally, we help you prioritize and quantify your objectives and we help evaluate your ability to meet your financial objectives, given the current value and structure of your income and assets. The point is, we listen carefully to you, conduct an indepth analysis and provide personalized alternatives, so you can be confident any recommendations we make are tailored specifically to your circumstances and will help you toward your objectives. A client-centered philosophy Our overriding philosophy the one that uniquely defines the way we do business is Serve First, Last, and Always SM. The essence of this philosophy is that in all client engagements, regardless of the circumstances, we are committed to do whatever is required to get you to take whatever actions are necessary to put your financial affairs in the best possible order. Conviction in what we do and sell; the courage to get our clients to take action; the competency to guide them; and communication that builds understanding and trust these are the key qualities of Serve First. And these are the commitments we make to you when you choose to retain us.

6 You can count on us. Lincoln Financial Advisors is a member of Lincoln Financial Group, the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation, a prominent financial services company dedicated to helping clients build, preserve and protect wealth. This affiliation provides depth, stability and significant resources to our clients. Our name and reputation have been built on servicing each client as if he or she were our only client. The personal attention that our representatives provide is one of the primary reasons that many of our clients become partners for life. If this is the kind of partnership that makes sense to you, give us the opportunity to personally discuss the benefit of our work with you. We are confident you ll be glad you did.

7 Today s plan can help you realize future aspirations.

8 A century of integrity At Lincoln Financial Group, we have a 100-year-old heritage of helping people find solutions to their financial challenges with the same honesty, integrity, and responsibility that you d expect from our namesake. It s a legacy that we proudly and respectfully continue each day. The strength of Lincoln Financial today Lincoln Financial is one of the largest financial services companies in the country. We believe our continued commitment to strength and stability is indispensable to who we are and critical to your confidence in us. We are a proven industry leader in identifying and delivering sophisticated financial strategies and product solutions for the creation, preservation, protection, and enjoyment of wealth. We are committed to helping clients redefine their retirement because we don t believe retirement is an end it s an opportunity for everyone to start doing what they were meant for all along. Lincoln Financial Group, headquartered in the Philadelphia region, is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. Through its affiliated companies, Lincoln Financial Group offers: annuities; life, group life and disability income insurance; 401(k) and 403(b) plans; retirement savings plans; mutual funds; managed accounts; institutional investments; and comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. For more information, including a copy of our most recent SEC reports containing our balance sheets, please visit Securities and investment advisory services offered through Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a broker-dealer and registered investment advisor. Insurance offered through Lincoln affiliates and other fine companies. For CA, Insurance offered through Lincoln Marketing and Insurance Agency, LLC and Lincoln Associates Insurance Agency, Inc. and other fine companies. For MI, Securities offered through Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a broker/dealer and an insurance agency. For UT, LFA Insurance Agency. Insurance offered through Lincoln Financial Group, Inc. and other fine companies. For WA, Insurance offered through Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. and LFA Limited Liability Company and other fine companies Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation and its affiliates. CRN LFA 2/12 The Financial Planning Association (FPA ) owns the FPA Alliance mark and recognizes Lincoln Financial Advisors for its commitment to support FPA s primary aim and principles of financial planning. It is not our position to offer legal or tax advice.