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Testing for qualified retirement plans, e.g., ESOPs, pertaining to IRC Section 415 which limits the annual additions allocated to a participant’s account in all defined contribution plans to the lesser of 100% of the participant’s compensation or the statutory limit in effect for the calendar year in which the Plan year ends.

Preferred stock represents ownership in a company with higher claims on dividends and asset distribution compared to common stock

Generally speaking, a collective is an organization that is managed without hierarchy. This means that every person has equal decision-making power. Some decisions may be delegated to individual members or sub-committees, but no one has the special, authoritative power usually granted to a manager.

Accounting for the total compensation expense of ESOP shares with the average fair value of the released shares during the year. The difference between original cost per share and the average fair value per share is recorded through paid-in-capital or retained earnings and is a non-cash adjustment. The ESOP compensation expense is part of operating income.

A credit union is a member-owned financial co-operative. Unlike in a traditional bank, where the owners are those who buy stock, not necessarily those who have accounts, credit unions are created and operated by account holders, who are the members-owners, and profits are shared amongst the owners.

A decision making process that rather than voting that is committed to finding decisions that everyone actively supports, or at least can live with. All decisions are made with the consent of everyone involved, to ensure that all opinions, ideas, and concerns are taken into account.

This percentage represents how much of the money earned by a business is directly spent on creating products or providing services. The lower the percentage, the higher the margin, and the more cost-effective the business appears to be. (To calculate a gross profit margin, first take the gross profit from the Profit & Loss [i.e. total revenue minus direct costs/Cost of Goods Sold]. Divide this number by total revenue. Multiply by 100 to show as a percentage.)

Also called Collective Equity in a cooperative, Retained Earnings are the accumulated net income that has been retained for reinvestment in the business rather than being paid out in dividends to stockholders. Retained Earnings is a part of the equity section of a business’ balance sheet.

Payroll taxes are taxes imposed on employers or employees, and are usually calculated as a percentage of the salaries that employers pay their staff. Payroll taxes generally fall into two categories: deductions from an employee’s wages, and taxes paid by the employer based on the employee’s wages.