Executive compensation unquestionably is a hot-button topic. The recent focus is hardly unexpected in a time when multi-billion dollar bailouts have become the norm. Corporations are experiencing a backlash of shareholder and public outcry regarding lavish pay and bonuses. This heightened scrutiny is not limited to bailout beneficiaries: shareholders of businesses at all levels are examining how their upper-level management is being compensated and whether that compensation bears a relationship to results. But compensation is not the only target. Perquisites such as deferred compensation, retiree life insurance, stock options and any benefit viewed as an expensive...
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