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Long-Term Investments and Other Assets
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Long-Term Investments and Other Assets

7. Long-Term Investments and Other Assets

Long-term investments and other assets include deferred commissions, deferred compensation plan assets, equity method investments and security deposits. A summary of the significant items included in this caption is as follows:

Deferred Commissions

Deferred commissions are commissions paid to broker-dealers on sales of mutual fund shares. Deferred commissions are recovered by the receipt of monthly asset-based distributor fees from the mutual funds or contingent deferred sales charges received upon redemption of shares within one to five years, depending on the fund share class. The deferred costs resulting from the sale of shares are amortized on a straight-line basis over a one to five-year period, depending on the fund share class, or until the underlying shares are redeemed. Deferred commissions were $5.9 million and $5.7 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Deferred Compensation

The Company has a non-qualified retirement plan (the “Excess Incentive Plan”) that allows certain employees to voluntarily defer compensation. Under the Excess Incentive Plan, participants elect to defer a portion of their compensation which the Company then contributes into a trust. Each participant is responsible for designating investment options for assets they contribute and the ultimate distribution paid to each participant reflects any gains or losses on the assets realized while in the trust. The Company holds Excess Incentive Plan assets in a rabbi trust, which is subject to the claims of the Company’s creditors in the event of the Company’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Assets held in trust, included in long-term investments and other assets and the associated obligation to participants, included in lease obligations and other long-term liabilities in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets, were $3.0 million and $2.8 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Assets held in trust consist of mutual funds and are recorded at fair value, utilizing Level 1 valuation techniques.