Note 4 - Stock Compensation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Notes to Financial Statements

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]

4. STOCK COMPENSATION

AmerInst Professional Services, Limited (“APSL”), a subsidiary of AmerInst, has employment agreements with four key members of senior management, including one of our named executive officers, Kyle Nieman, the President of APSL, which grant them phantom shares of the Company. Under these agreements, these employees were initially granted an aggregate of 75,018 phantom shares of the Company on the date of their employment, subject to certain vesting requirements. The phantom shares are eligible for phantom dividends payable at the same rate as regular dividends on the Company’s common shares. The phantom dividends may be used only to purchase additional phantom shares with the purchase price of such phantom shares being the net book value of the Company’s actual common shares as of the end of the previous quarter. During the three months ended June 30, 2016, no phantom shares were granted because no dividends were declared on the Company’s common shares. During the six months ended June 30, 2016, 771 phantom shares were granted, arising from the dividends declared on the Company’s common shares. 83,927 phantom shares were outstanding at June 30, 2016.

For three of these employees, including Mr. Nieman, the phantom shares initially granted, as well as any additional shares granted from dividends declared, vested on January 1, 2015. For the fourth employee, the phantom shares initially granted, as well as any additional shares granted from dividends declared, will vest on January 1, 2018. The liability payable to these employees under the phantom share agreements is equal to the value of the phantom shares based on the net book value of the Company’s actual common shares at the end of the previous quarter less the value of phantom shares initially granted and is payable in cash upon the earlier of the employee attaining 65 years of age or within 60 days of such employee’s death or permanent disability, including if such death or permanent disability occurs before January 1, 2018 for the fourth employee.

The liability relating to these phantom shares is recalculated quarterly based on the net book value of the Company’s common shares at the end of each quarter. As a result of the overall decrease in the net book value of the Company’s common shares since the grant dates, no liability has been recorded by the Company relating to these phantom shares at June 30, 2016.