Significant Accounting Policies: Stock-based Compensation (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Policies

Stock-based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation is measured at the grant date based on the estimated fair value of the award and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period.  The valuation of employee stock options is an inherently subjective process, since market values are generally not available for long-term, non-transferable employee stock options.  Accordingly, the Black-Scholes option pricing model is utilized to derive an estimated fair value.  The Black-Scholes pricing model requires the consideration of the following six variables for purposes of estimating fair value:

·         the stock option exercise price;

·         the expected term of the option;

·         the grant date price of the Company’s common stock, which is issuable upon exercise of the option;

·         the expected volatility of the Company’s common stock;

·         the expected dividends on the Company’s common stock (the Company does not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future); and

·         the risk free interest rate for the expected option term.

There were no options granted during the fiscal years ended March 31, 2013 and 2012.

Expected Dividends.  The Company has never declared or paid any cash dividends on any of its capital stock and does not expect to do so in the foreseeable future.  Accordingly, the Company uses an expected dividend yield of zero to calculate the grant-date fair value of a stock option.

Expected Volatility.  The expected volatility is a measure of the amount by which the Company’s stock price is expected to fluctuate during the expected term of options granted.  The Company determines the expected volatility solely based upon the historical volatility of its common stock over a period commensurate with the option’s expected term.  The Company does not believe that the future volatility of its common stock over an option’s expected term is likely to differ significantly from the past.

Risk-Free Interest Rate.  The risk-free interest rate is the implied yield available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a remaining term equal to the option’s expected term on the grant date.

Expected Term.  For option grants subsequent to the adoption of the fair value recognition provisions of the accounting standards, the expected life of stock options granted is based on the actual vesting date and the end of the contractual term.

Stock Option Exercise Price and Grant Date Price of Common Stock.  The closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant.

The Company is required to estimate the level of award forfeitures expected to occur and record compensation expense only for those awards that are ultimately expected to vest.  This requirement applies to all awards that are not yet vested.  Due to the limited number of unvested options outstanding, the majority of which are held by executives and members of the Company’s Board of Directors, the Company has estimated a zero forfeiture rate.  The Company will revisit this assumption periodically and as changes in the composition of the option pool dictate.