| You have probably heard of the large amount of | | | | worked hard for their money'. And that may |
| stock compensation company officers hold | | | | very well be true. But did they really work any |
| compared to the average salary of the rank and | | | | harder than you do on a day to day basis? And if |
| file worker within the same publicly held company. | | | | they did, does the harder work they did add up |
| Are you curious about how much stock the CEO | | | | to account for the discrepancy between an |
| and other officers of a particular company hold in | | | | average worker's pay and a company officer's |
| their possession? | | | | stock holdings. Chances are, the answer is no. |
| Here is how you find out. Go to the NASDAQ | | | | This leads to some interesting realizations about |
| website and enter the stock ticker symbol of the | | | | how our economy works. The days of serfdom |
| company you are interested in. Click on 'Flash | | | | are supposed to be over, but are they really? |
| Quotes'. Use the drop down box to select 'Insider | | | | The serfdom is now an economic one. The real |
| Form 4'. Scan down the list until you find the | | | | estate owned and tribute collected by a monarch |
| company officer's name you are interested in. | | | | have been replaced with stock compensation for |
| Click on that name. Go to the top of the list | | | | corporate officers and owners. But the serf or |
| which should be the latest date. Move your eyes | | | | worker is the one who does the work. The |
| to the far right column entitled 'holdings'. That is | | | | monarch and his court are still the ones who reap |
| how many shares that officer currently holds and | | | | the rewards. |
| controls. Multiply that number by the most recent | | | | In private companies you probably won't be able |
| price for the company's stock and you will arrive | | | | to find out the information that you can find on |
| at a dollar figure. | | | | the NASDAQ website about publicly traded |
| Of course, that figure will change from day to | | | | companies. I think it is a good thing that the SEC |
| day. You may be surprised at just how high that | | | | or Securities and Exchange Commission requires |
| number is. You may also want to consider that | | | | this information to be available to the public. Of |
| this is merely the officer's current stock holdings. | | | | course, it is meant to be available to potential |
| It doesn't tell you how many shares he has sold in | | | | investors. But if you own stock in your company |
| the past; it also doesn't tell you how many shares | | | | via a 401K plan, that makes you an investor. |
| the company will grant him or her in the future. | | | | Besides the NASDAQ website, you can also find |
| When you start to look at these figures you may | | | | this information on the Securities and Exchange |
| become very amazed. If you are currently a | | | | Commissions' website. In fact, there is a wealth of |
| company CEO or officer, the numbers will not | | | | information out there to discover. In many |
| shock you because you will already be familiar | | | | instances it is actually easier to find on the |
| with them. However, if you are currently an | | | | NASDAQ website. |
| employee for a publicly held company you may | | | | Perhaps knowing the value of the stock held by |
| wonder about the discrepancy between your | | | | company officers will make you less timid about |
| salary and the officers' stock holdings. | | | | asking for that raise you deserve. Knowledge |
| Some will say, 'but the CEO and other officers | | | | often equates to power. |