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Long-term Equity-based Compensation
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Long-Term Equity-Based Compensation LONG-TERM EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION
On May 1, 2024 (“2023 A&R Omnibus Plan Effective Date”), Kemper’s shareholders approved the Amended and Restated Kemper Corporation 2023 Omnibus Equity Plan (“2023 A&R Omnibus Plan”). The number of shares of Kemper common stock available for issuance under the 2023 A&R Omnibus Plan is (i) 2,650,000 shares less (ii) one (1) share for every one (1) share granted after February 15, 2024 and prior to the 2023 A&R Omnibus Plan Effective Date (the “Share Authorization”). Since May 3, 2023, no new awards have been granted under the 2020 Omnibus Equity Plan (“2020 Omnibus Plan”) that had been approved by Kemper’s Shareholders on May 6, 2020, but awards previously granted under the 2020 Omnibus Plan remain outstanding in accordance with their original terms. As of December 31, 2024, there were 2,363,941 common shares available for future grants, subject to adjustment in accordance with the plans’ terms and the respective grant agreements.
NOTE 22. LONG-TERM EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION (Continued)
Outstanding equity-based compensation awards as of December 31, 2024 consisted of time-based Restricted Stock Units that typically vest over three years (“RSU”), stock option and stock appreciation rights (“Tandem Awards”), PSUs and Deferred Stock Units (“DSUs”) that were previously granted to Kemper’s Non-employee Directors under the 2011 Omnibus Equity Plan. In 2024, grants were made of RSUs that had performance vesting conditions (“pRSUs”). Unless otherwise specified in this Note 22, references to RSUs include pRSUs. RSUs, PSUs and DSUs give the recipient the right to receive one share of Kemper common stock for each RSU, PSU or DSU issued. Recipients of DSUs received full dividend equivalents on the same basis as all other outstanding shares of Kemper common stock, but do not receive voting rights until such shares are issued.
For grants under the 2023 A&R Omnibus Plan and the 2020 Omnibus Plan, recipients of RSUs and PSUs receive dividend equivalents on the same basis as all other outstanding shares of Kemper common stock only if, to the extent, and at the time that they vest and on subsequent dividend payment dates after they vest until the awards are settled, and do not receive voting rights until such shares are issued. For awards subject to a performance condition, the Company recognizes compensation expense based upon the probable outcome of the performance condition. The estimate is revised if the actual number of PSUs expected to vest is likely to differ from the previous estimate. Compensation expense for awards is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. For equity-based compensation awards with a graded vesting schedule, the Company recognizes compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for each separately-vesting portion of the awards as if each award were, in substance, multiple awards. Compensation expense is recognized only for those awards expected to vest, with forfeitures estimated at the date of grant based on the Company’s historical experience and future expectations. Equity-based compensation expense was $29.2 million, $29.0 million and $17.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Total unamortized compensation expense related to unvested awards at December 31, 2024 was $28.0 million, which is expected to be recognized over the next three years ending December 31, 2025, 2026 and 2027.
The Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, or, in limited circumstances, the CEO as the Board’s authorized designee, has sole discretion to determine the persons to whom awards under the 2023 A&R Omnibus Plan are granted, and the material terms of the awards. For Tandem Awards, material terms include the number of shares covered by such awards and the exercise price, vesting and expiration dates of such awards. Tandem Awards are non-transferable. The exercise price of Tandem Awards is the fair value of Kemper’s common stock on the date of grant. Tandem Awards and RSU awards granted to employees generally vest in three equal annual installments over a period of three years, with the Tandem Awards expiring ten years from the date of grant. Employee PSU awards generally vest over a period of three years, subject to performance results and other restrictions. pRSU vest in three equal installments on the first three anniversaries of the grant date, assuming performance conditions are satisfied prior to each vesting date and that the executive remains employed by the Company. The performance conditions are measured using full-year 2024 results and full-year 2025 results.
Under the Non-employee Director compensation program in effect for 2024, each Non-employee Director elected at the 2024 annual shareholder meeting received an annual RSU award with an aggregate grant date fair value of $150,000 (“Director RSUs”) at the conclusion of the meeting, and new Non-employee Directors who joined the Board received an initial award of Director RSUs valued at the percentage of the full grant date fair value of $150,000 that represents the number of quarterly
Board meetings the new director was expected to attend during the remaining portion of the then-current annual compensation period that ends on the date of the next annual shareholder meeting. The Director RSUs vest over a period of one year, enable the award holder to make an election to defer the conversion to shares of common stock in accordance with applicable deferral rules, and include the right to receive dividend equivalents on the same basis as all other outstanding shares of Kemper common stock only if, to the extent, and at the time that they vest and on subsequent dividend payment dates after they vest until the awards are settled. Each Non-employee Director elected at the 2023 annual shareholder meeting received an annual Director RSU award with an aggregate grant date fair value of $130,000 at the conclusion of the meeting, and, each Non-employee Director elected at the 2022 annual shareholder meeting received an annual Director RSU award with an aggregate grant date fair value of $130,000 at the conclusion of the meeting, under the Non-employee Director compensation program in effect for the applicable year.
The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of each Tandem Award on the date of grant. The expected terms of Tandem Awards are developed by considering the Company’s historical Tandem Award exercise experience, demographic profiles, historical share retention practices of employees and assumptions about their propensity for early exercise in the future. Expected volatility is estimated using weekly historical volatility over the estimated life of each tranche of the award. The Company believes that historical volatility is currently the best estimate of expected volatility. The dividend yield in 2024, 2023 and 2022 was calculated by taking the natural logarithm of the annualized yield divided by the
NOTE 22. LONG-TERM EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION (Continued)
Kemper common stock price on the date of grant. The risk-free interest rate was the yield on the grant date of U.S. Treasury zero coupon issues with a maturity comparable to the expected term of the option.
The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes pricing model for Tandem Awards granted during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 are presented below.
202420232022
RANGE OF VALUATION ASSUMPTIONS
Expected Volatility34.49 %-38.21 %35.12 %-39.27 %33.20 %-37.67 %
Risk-free Interest Rate3.83 -4.02 3.47 -4.74 1.20 -4.33 
Expected Dividend Yield1.95 -2.15 1.55 -2.39 1.59 -2.25 
WEIGHTED-AVERAGE EXPECTED LIFE IN YEARS
Employee Grants4-64-64-6
Tandem Award activity for the year ended December 31, 2024 is presented below.
Shares
Subject to
Awards
Weighted-
average
Exercise Price
Per Share ($)
Weighted-
average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (in Years)
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
($ In Millions)
Outstanding at Beginning of the Year2,373,319 $59.27 
Granted240,412 57.99 
Exercised(88,989)52.47 
Forfeited or Expired(168,962)69.93 
Outstanding at December 31, 20242,355,780 $58.62 4.91$24.6 
Vested and Expected to Vest at December 31, 20242,328,720 $58.66 4.88$24.3 
Exercisable at December 31, 20241,874,676 $59.13 4.03$19.9 
The weighted-average grant-date fair values of Tandem Awards granted during 2024, 2023 and 2022 were $18.80, $18.85 and $14.67, respectively. Total intrinsic value of Tandem Awards exercised was $0.9 million, $0.6 million and $0.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Cash received from exercises of Tandem Awards was $4.7 million, $1.9 million and $0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Total tax benefit realized for tax deductions from exercises of Tandem Awards was $0.2 million, $0.1 million and $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Information pertaining to Tandem Awards outstanding at December 31, 2024 is presented below.
OutstandingExercisable
Range of Exercise Prices ($)Shares
Subject to
Awards
Weighted-
average
Exercise Price
Per Share ($)
Weighted-
average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (in Years)
Shares
Subject to
Awards
Weighted-
average
Exercise Price
Per Share ($)
$20.01 -30.00 103,731 $27.71 1.16103,731 $27.71 
30.01 -40.00 64,219 33.11 0.9864,219 33.11 
40.01 -50.00 326,945 42.62 1.93320,220 42.52 
50.01 -60.00 1,064,337 56.48 6.50602,879 56.40 
60.01 -70.00 274,361 68.94 5.69261,440 69.21 
70.01 -80.00 502,599 76.61 4.33502,599 76.61 
80.01 -90.00 19,588 83.42 4.7719,588 83.42 
20.01 -90.00 2,355,780 58.62 4.911,874,676 59.13 
The grant-date fair values of RSUs are determined using the closing price of Kemper common stock on the date of grant.
NOTE 22. LONG-TERM EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION (Continued)
Activity related to nonvested RSUs for the year ended December 31, 2024 is presented below.
Time-based Restricted Stock Unit Awards
Number of Restricted Stock Units Weighted-
average
Grant-date
Fair Value
Per Unit
Nonvested Balance at Beginning of the Year568,316 $54.77 
Granted448,121 57.94 
Vested(359,874)54.06 
Forfeited(70,831)57.44 
Nonvested Balance at December 31, 2024
585,732 $57.34 
The initial number of PSUs awarded to each participant represents the number of Kemper common shares that would vest and be issued if the performance level attained were to be at the “target” performance level. For performance above the target level, each participant would receive a grant of additional shares of stock up to a maximum of 100% of the initial number of PSUs awarded to the participant. The final payout of these awards, and any forfeitures of PSUs for performance below the “target” performance level, will be determined based on the Company’s performance. If, at the end of the applicable performance period, the Company’s performance:
exceeds the “target” performance level, all of the PSUs will vest and additional shares of stock will be issued to the award recipient;
is below the “target” performance level, but at or above a “minimum” performance level, only a portion of the PSUs originally issued to the award recipient will vest; or
is below a “minimum” performance level, none of the PSUs originally issued to the award recipient will vest.
Activity related to nonvested PSU awards for the year ended December 31, 2024 is presented below.
PSU Awards
Number of PSUsWeighted-
average
Grant-date
Fair Value
Per PSU
Nonvested Balance at Beginning of the Year581,307 $63.82 
Granted208,294 64.83 
Vested— — 
Forfeited(253,075)70.69 
Nonvested Balance at December 31, 2024
536,526 $60.99 
The number of additional shares that would be granted if the Company were to meet or exceed the maximum performance levels related to the outstanding PSU awards for the 2024, 2023 and 2022 three-year performance periods was 192,438 common shares, 169,216 common shares and 174,872 common shares, respectively, (as “full value awards,” the equivalent of 192,438 shares, 169,216 shares, and 174,872 shares, respectively, under the Share Authorization) at December 31, 2024.
The grant date fair values of the PSU awards with a market performance condition are determined using the Monte Carlo simulation method. The Monte Carlo simulation model produces a risk-neutral simulation of the daily returns on the common stock of Kemper and each of the other companies included in the peer group. Returns generated by the simulation depend on the risk-free interest rate used and the volatilities of, and the correlation between, these stocks. The model simulates stock prices and dividend payouts to the end of the three-year performance period. Total shareholder returns are generated for each of these stocks based on the simulated prices and dividend payouts. The total shareholder returns are then ranked, and Kemper’s simulated ranking is converted to a payout percentage based on the terms of the PSU awards. The payout percentage is applied to the simulated stock price at the end of the performance period, reinvested dividends are added back, and the total is
NOTE 22. LONG-TERM EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION (Continued)
discounted to the valuation date at the risk-free rate. This process is repeated approximately ten thousand times, and the grant date fair value is equal to the average of the results from these trials.
Sixty-seven percent of the PSU awards granted to employees in 2024, sixty-seven percent of the PSU awards granted to employees in 2023 and sixty-seven percent of the PSU awards granted to employees in 2022 are measured using a market performance condition. Fair value for these awards was estimated using the Monte Carlo simulation method described above. Final payout for these awards, and any forfeitures of units for performance below the “target” performance level, will be based on Kemper’s total shareholder return, relative to a peer group comprised of all the companies in the S&P Supercomposite Insurance Index, over a three-year performance period. The three-year performance periods for the 2024, 2023 and 2022 awards end on January 31, 2026, January 31, 2025 and January 31, 2024, respectively. Compensation cost for these awards is recognized ratably over the requisite service period. In the event that the market performance condition is not satisfied, previously recognized compensation cost would not reverse, but it would reverse if the requisite service period is not met.
Thirty-three percent of the PSU awards granted to employees in 2024, thirty-three percent of the PSU awards granted to employees in 2023 and thirty-three percent of the PSU awards granted to employees in 2022 are measured solely using a Company-specific metric. Final payout for these awards, and any forfeitures of shares for performance below the “target” performance level, will be determined based on Kemper’s adjusted return on equity over a three-year performance period. The three-year performance periods for the 2024, 2023 and 2022 awards end on December 31, 2026, December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. Fair value for these awards was determined using the closing price of Kemper common stock on the date of grant. Accruals of compensation cost for these awards are estimated based on the probable outcome of the performance condition.
The total fair value of RSUs and PSUs that vested during the year ended December 31, 2024 was $21.7 million. The tax benefits for tax deductions realized from such awards was $4.5 million. The total fair value of RSUs and PSUs that vested during the year ended December 31, 2023 was $5.2 million. The tax benefits for tax deductions realized from such awards was $1.1 million. The total fair value of RSUs and PSUs that vested during the year ended December 31, 2022 was $7.5 million. The tax benefits for tax deductions realized from such awards was $1.6 million.
The grant-date fair values of DSU awards issued under the 2011 Omnibus Plan granted to Non-employee Directors were determined using the closing price of Kemper common stock on the date of grant. Beginning in 2019 DSU awards are no longer issued to Non-employee Directors. All previously granted shares had vested upon issuance and as such, no DSUs vested during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
Activity related to DSU awards for the year ended December 31, 2024 is presented below.
Number of DSUsWeighted-
average
Grant-date
Fair Value
Per DSU
Vested Balance at Beginning of the Year28,380 $46.07 
Reduction for Shares Issued on Conversion(15,440)42.94 
Vested Balance at December 31, 2024
12,940 $49.80