FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATE SERVICES INC.
SAVINGS AND SECURITY PLAN FOR MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATES
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2013 and 2012
(1)
Description of the Plan
General
The following brief description of the Frontier Communications Corporate Services Inc. Savings and Security Plan for Mid-At
lantic Associates (the “Plan”)
provides general and limited information. Participants should refer to the Plan document for a more comprehensive description of the Plan’s provisions. Copies of the Plan document are available from the Plan sponsor.
(a)
Background
The Plan is a defined contribution plan sponsored
and managed
by
Frontier Communications Corporation (
“
Frontier
” or the “Company”
or the “Plan Administrator”
)
.
Under the terms of the Plan,
non-salaried
employees
including those that were eligible under the
Verizon Communications Inc. (
“
Verizon
”
)
Plan
on
June 30, 2010
are eligible to participate
in the P
lan
provided that the employee is employed by a participating employer in an eligible class of employees.
Generally, salaried employees, l
eased employees, individuals not on the employer’s payroll, and
employees of Frontier or any other Frontier
c
ompany other than Frontier Communications Corporate Services Inc.
are ineligible to participate. The Plan is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”).
On July 1, 2010,
Frontier
acquired the defined assets and liabilities of the local exchange business and related landline activities of
Verizon
in Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin and in portions of California bordering Arizona, Nevada and Oregon, including Internet access and long distance services and broadband video provided to designated customers in those territories.
Under the terms of the agreements between Verizon and Frontier, Frontier established
a
benefit plan for former Verizon employees who were transferred to Frontier that provide
s
benefits that are identical in all material respects to the benefits received by them under
the
Verizon
Savings and Security Plan for Mid-Atlantic Associates (“the Verizon Plan”)
.
(b)
Contributions
Eligible employees may contribute, in
1
%
increments, up to
16
%
of their
eligible compensation on a before
-
tax basis, an after-tax basis or a combination of both
through payroll deductions, subject to certain maximum contribution restrictions.
The maximum contribution allowed for deferral for U.S
.
federal income tax purposes in
20
1
3
was
$
17,500
.
All employees eligible to make contributions under the Plan and who have attained or will attain age
50
before the close of the Plan year shall be eligible to make catch-up contributions in accordance with, and subject to the limitations of, Section 414(v) of the Internal Revenue Code (“
IRC
”).
The maximum allowable catch-up contribution for
201
3
was
$
5,500
.
No matching contributions
are
made with respect to a
p
articipant’s catch-up contributions.
The Company
contributes
$0.82 on each dollar
contributed by a participant
up to
6
%
of
each participant’s
eligible compensation.
The Company contributions are allocated to Plan investments following the same method of allocation as that for participant-directed investments.
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATE SERVICES INC.
SAVINGS AND SECURITY PLAN FOR MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATES
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2013 and 2012
(c)
Participant Accounts
Each participant’s account is credited with the participant’s contribution
s
and an allocation of (a) the Company’s contribution and (b)
investment
earnings or losses
and charged with
withdrawals and
an allocation of administrative expenses
.
Allocations are based on each partic
ipant’s investment election(s)
. The benefit to which a participant is entitled is the amount that can be provided from the participant’s vested account.
(d)
Vesting
Participants are vested immediately in their contributions plus the allocated earnings thereon. Participants become 100% vested in the Company contributions and the related earnings on the Company contributions upon disability, death
or
attainment of normal retirement age
while an employee
.
F
or any other termination of employment,
Company contributions and related earnings
fully
vest after three years of service.
(e)
Notes Receivable from Participants
Participants in the Plan may request to borrow up to the lesser
of 50% of their
vested account balance
or $50,000. The interest
rate paid by the participant is equal to the prime interest rate in effect at the
end
of the month
prior to
which the loan is processed and remains fixed at that rate for the term of the loan.
The maximum loan repayment period is five years, or
currently
up to
fifteen
years
for the purchase of a primary residence.
Loan repayments are after tax, and are credited to each
p
articipant’s account as the payments are made. A participant may repay a loan in full at any time by remitting his/her payment directly to the trustee of the Plan.
(f)
Payment of Benefits
P
articipants
may
keep any portion of their account in the Plan beyond the attainment of age 70 ½.
Inactive participants
, after
age 70 ½
,
must take
the required minimum
distribution of their balances on or before April 1st of the calendar year after they retire.
Upon termination of employment
or permanent disability
, a participant is entitled to receive
a lump-sum distribution in cash or stock for any balance invested in the Verizon
Communications Inc. Common
Stock Fund or the Frontier
Communications Corporation Common
Stock Fund for
the vested portion of his/her account.
Participants may also elect to receive
2
to 20 annual installments or monthly or annual installments over a period equal to the life expectancy of the participant.
If the value of the terminating participant's vested account balance
does not
exceed $1,000
, the participant
’
s balance will be distributed automatically at
that
time.
In-service withdrawals
from a participant’s vested account balance
are also permitted under limited circumstances such as attaining age 59
½
or financial hardship.
(g)
Forfeitures
Forfeitures of nonvested Company contributions are applied to reduce future contributions of the Company.
As of
December 31,
201
3
,
forfeited nonvested Company contributions totaled
approximately
$
12,5
00
.
Forfeited nonvested Company contributions of approximately $50,100 were used to partially fund Company contributions for the year ended December 31, 2013.
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATE SERVICES INC.
SAVINGS AND SECURITY PLAN FOR MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATES
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2013 and 2012
(h)
Administrative
Expenses
The administrative expense
s
of the Plan are paid by the
P
lan or by the Company.
The majority of Plan administrative
expenses
paid by
p
articipants
relate to
investment management fees
which are deducted from participant account balances.
(i)
Dividends
Dividends attributable to the participant’s interest in the Frontier Communications Corporation Common Stock Fund are reinvested in the Frontier Communications Corporation Common Stock Fund, unless the participant elects, in a manner approved by the Retirement Plan Committee, to receive dividends entirely in cash. All cash dividends are received by Fidelity Management Trust Company
(the “Trustee”)
, and distributed to participants in cash no later than 90 days after the close of the Plan year.
(
j
)
Investments
T
he
Plan’s investments are in
a
Master Trust
, which provides
for the investment of assets of the Plan and
another
Fro
ntier sponsored retirement plan
. Each participating retirement plan has an undivided interest in the Master Trust. The assets of the Master Trust are held by the Trustee
,
who is responsible for the control and disbursement of the funds and portfolios of the Plan. Investment fees are charged against the earnings of the funds and portfolios.
Interest, dividends and net appreciation (depreciation) in the fair value of investments are allocated to the Plan on a daily basis based upon the Plan’s participation in the various investment funds and portfolios that comprise the Master Trust as a percentage of the total participation in such funds and portfolios.
The Verizon
Common
Stock Fund is closed to new contributions or exchanges. However, any amounts invested in this fund will
remain unless a participant changes their investment options. A participant can exchange out of this investment into any of the other investment options under the Plan
, except the Frontier Common Stock Fund
.
The Plan restricts a participant’s ability to invest in Frontier Communications Corporation common stock if the value of the Company stock fund exceeds 15% of the total value of the participant’s account. In addition, a participant is restricted from investing more than 15% of current contributions in the Company stock fund.
(
k
)
Registered Investment Company
Fees
Investments in
r
egistered
investment companies
(mutual f
unds)
are subject to sales charges and annual fees for marketing and distribution costs of the funds. These fees are deducted prior to the allocation of the investment earnings activity and thus not separately identifiable as an expense of the Plan.
(2)
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
(a)
Basis of Accounting
The financial statements of the Plan are prepared under the accrual method of accounting.
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATE SERVICES INC.
SAVINGS AND SECURITY PLAN FOR MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATES
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2013 and 2012
(b)
Use of Estimates
The preparation of
the
Plan’s
financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America
(“U.S. GAAP”)
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities,
and
changes therein, and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities
.
Actual results may differ from these estimates.
(c)
Investments
The
Master Trust’s
investments are stated at fair value.
Shares of
registered investment companies
are valued at quoted market prices, which represent the net asset value of shares held by the
Master Trust
.
The Plan’s interest in collective trusts are valued based on information reported by the investment advisor using the audited financial statements of the collective trust at year-end.
Common stock is valued at its quoted market price as of the end of the Plan year.
Money market funds are valued at the net asset value of shares held at year end.
In addition, the Plan offers a brokerage option,
BrokerageL
ink
, whereby participants invest in publicly traded
registered investment companies
not offered directly by the
Master Trust
.
P
urchases and sales of securities are recorded on a trade-date basis.
Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividends are recorded on the
ex-
dividend date.
The net
appreciation/depreciation
in fair value
of investments
in the Master Trust
consists of the net realized gains and losses on the disposal of investments during
201
3
and the net unrealized appreciation/depreciation of the market value for the investments remaining in the
Master Trust
as of December 31,
201
3
.
(d)
Fully Benefit-Responsive Investment Contracts
Investment contracts held by a defined contribution plan are required to be reported at fair value. However, contract value is the relevant measurement attribute for fully benefit-responsive investment contracts because contract value is the amount participants would receive if they were to initiate permitted transactions under the terms of the Plan. The Plan invests in investment contracts through a collective trust. The Statement
s
of Net Assets Available for Benefits present the fair value of the investment in the collective trust as well
a
s the adjustment of the investment in the collective trust from fair value to contract value relating to the investment contracts. The Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits is prepared on a contract value basis.
(
e
)
Payment of
Benefits
Benefits
to participants
are recorded when paid.
(
f
)
Notes Receivable from Participants
Notes receivable from participants
are stated at their unpaid principal balances plus any accrued but unpaid interest. Delinquent
notes receivable
are
reclassified
as distributions based
upon
the terms of the
P
lan document
.
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATE SERVICES INC.
SAVINGS AND SECURITY PLAN FOR MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATES
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2013 and 2012
(3)
Investment in Master Trust
The Plan’s specific interest in the Master Trust is credited or charged for contributions, transfers and benefit payments relating to its participants. Realized gains and losses and changes in net unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments, income from investments and expenses are allocated to the Plan based on the Plan’s specific interest in the net assets of the Master Trust. At December 31,
201
3
and
201
2
, the Plan’s interest in the net assets of the Master Trust was approximately
9
%
in each period
.
The following table presents the fair values of investments for the Master Trust as of December 31,
201
3
and
201
2
:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013
|
|
2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frontier Common Stock
|
|
$
|
24,293,549
|
|
$
|
23,462,498
|
Verizon Common Stock
|
|
|
137,950,967
|
|
|
140,278,723
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
|
|
853,956,771
|
|
|
728,705,814
|
Collective Trusts
|
|
|
130,300,667
|
|
|
139,291,524
|
Money Market Funds
|
|
|
462,597
|
|
|
587,443
|
Investments, at fair value
|
|
|
1,146,964,551
|
|
|
1,032,326,002
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Receivables
|
|
|
54,523
|
|
|
146,217
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,147,019,074
|
|
$
|
1,032,472,219
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investment
income
of the Master Trust for the
year
ended December 31,
201
3
is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
$
|
20,341,411
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
|
|
122,173,047
|
Net appreciation in fair value of investments
|
|
|
142,514,458
|
Interest and dividends
|
|
|
41,899,646
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
184,414,104
|
|
|
|
|
The only investment that represents
5
% or more of net assets available for benefits as of December 31,
201
3
and
201
2
was the Plan’s interest in the Master Trust.
Fair value is defined under
U.S. GAAP
as the exit price associated with the sale of an asset or transfer of a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
Valuation techniques used to measure fair value under
U.S. GAAP
must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. In addition,
U.S. GAAP
establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value.
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATE SERVICES INC.
SAVINGS AND SECURITY PLAN FOR MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATES
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2013 and 2012
The input levels in the hierarchy
of fair value measurements are
as follows:
|
|
Input Level
|
Description of Input
|
Level 1
|
Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.
|
Level 2
|
Inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable.
|
Level 3
|
Unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists.
|
The methods described above may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while the Plan believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date.
T
he following table
s
represent the
Master Trust
’s fair value hierarchy for its financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31,
20
1
3
and
201
2
:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Master Trust Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2013
|
|
|
Total
|
|
Level 1
|
|
Level 2
|
|
Level 3
|
Frontier Communications Corporation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
$
|
24,293,549
|
|
$
|
24,293,549
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
$
|
-
|
Verizon Communications Inc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
|
137,950,967
|
|
|
137,950,967
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
|
|
853,956,771
|
|
|
853,956,771
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
Collective Trusts
|
|
|
130,300,667
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
130,300,667
|
|
|
-
|
Money Market Funds
|
|
|
462,597
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
462,597
|
|
|
-
|
Total investments at fair value
|
|
$
|
1,146,964,551
|
|
$
|
1,016,201,287
|
|
$
|
130,763,264
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Master Trust Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2012
|
|
|
Total
|
|
Level 1
|
|
Level 2
|
|
Level 3
|
Frontier Communications Corporation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
$
|
23,462,498
|
|
$
|
23,462,498
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
$
|
-
|
Verizon Communications Inc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
|
140,278,723
|
|
|
140,278,723
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
|
|
728,705,814
|
|
|
728,705,814
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
Collective Trusts
|
|
|
139,291,524
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
139,291,524
|
|
|
-
|
Money Market Funds
|
|
|
587,443
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
587,443
|
|
|
-
|
Total investments at fair value
|
|
$
|
1,032,326,002
|
|
$
|
892,447,035
|
|
$
|
139,878,967
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(
4
)
Related Party Transactions
Certain
investments in the Master Trust
are
in shares of
registered investment companies
and
a collective trust
that
are
managed by Fidelity Management Trust Company
.
Fidelity Management Trust Company
acts
as
the trustee as defined by the Plan
and
,
therefore
,
transactions
involving these asset
s
qualify as party-in-interest transactions.
Notes receivable from participants
also qualify as party-in-interest
transactions.
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATE SERVICES INC.
SAVINGS AND SECURITY PLAN FOR MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATES
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2013 and 2012
The Master Trust held common stock issued by the Company amounting to
$
24,293,549
and
$
23,462,498
as of December 31,
201
3
and
201
2
, respectively
.
(
5
)
Plan Termination
Although it has not expressed any intention to do so, the Company has the right under the Plan to discontinue its contributions at any time and to terminate the Plan subject to the provisions of ERISA, Collective Bargaining Agreements and the National Labor Relations Board. In the event of plan termination, participants will become 100% vested in their accounts.
(
6
)
Tax Status
The Plan
received a favorable determination letter
from the Internal Revenue Service
dated September 24, 2013, indicating that it
meets the requirements of Section 401(a) and 501(a) of the IRC and has qualified status as an empl
oyee retirement plan. T
he Plan Administrator and the Plan’s tax counsel believe that the Plan is currently designed and being operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of the IRC. Therefore, no provision for income taxes has been included in the Plan’s financial statements.
U.S. GAAP
require
s
plan management to evaluate tax positions taken by the Plan and recognize a tax liability (or asset) if the
P
lan has taken an uncertain position that more likely than not would not be sustained upon examination by a government authority. The
P
lan
A
dministrator has analyzed the tax positions taken by the Plan, and has concluded that as of December 31,
201
3
, there are no uncertain positions taken or expected to be taken that would require recognition of a liability (or asset) or disclosure in the financial statements.
(
7
)
Risks and Uncertainties
The Plan offers a number of investment options including the Company’s common stock and a variety of pooled investment funds, some of which are registered investment companies. The investment funds principally include
U.S.
equities, international equities, and fixed income securities. Investment securities, in general, are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate, credit, and overall market volatility risk. Due to the level of risk associated with these investments, it is at least reasonably possible that changes in their values will occur in the near term and that such changes could materially affect participants’ account balances and the amounts reported in the Statement
s
of Net Assets Available for Benefits.
The
Master Trust’s
exposure to a concentration of issuer risk is limited by the diversification of investments across all participant-directed fund elections except for the Frontier Communications Corporation Common Stock Fund and Verizon
Communications Inc. Common
Stock Fund, which are invested in the security of a single issuer. Additionally, the investments within certain participant-directed fund elections may be further diversified into varied financial instruments.
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATE SERVICES INC.
SAVINGS AND SECURITY PLAN FOR MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATES
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2013 and 2012
(
8
)
Reconciliation of Financial Statements to Form 5500
The following is
a
reconciliation
from the financial statements to the
Form 5500 at December 31,
201
3
and
201
2
:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013
|
|
2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Assets Available for Benefits per the Financial Statements
|
|
$
|
115,120,771
|
|
$
|
96,442,582
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustments from contract value to fair value for interest in a
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
collective trust relating to fully benefit-responsive
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
investment contracts
|
|
|
102,365
|
|
|
192,044
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Assets Available for Benefits per the Form 5500
|
|
$
|
115,223,136
|
|
$
|
96,634,626
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Increase in Net Assets Available for Benefits per the
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial Statements
|
|
$
|
18,678,189
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustment from contract value to fair value for interest in a
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
collective trust relating to fully benefit-responsive
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
investment contracts
|
|
|
(89,679)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Income per the Form 5500
|
|
$
|
18,588,510
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|