Your opinion request includes a copy of the Plan and a Summary Plan Description. It is open to eligible salaried employees of Ashland and its subsidiaries who have one year of service with the company or a subsidiary.
Participation is voluntary.
The funding of the plan is divided into contributions made by the employees and contributions made by Ashland. The Plan contains several alternatives for investments by a participant in her Account or Tax-Deferred Account. See Plan, Section 8.1. Dividends on the Ashland stock are paid to the Trustee of the Plan, allocated proportionately to the accounts of the participants on the basis of each participant's investment in Ashland CSF, and used to purchase additional Ashland stock. A portion of the company's contribution is automatically invested in the Ashland CSF and designated to the Restricted Company Match Account.