Audit Committee Charter
Members
The Board of Directors of Kansas City Life Insurance Company shall annually
appoint from its members an Audit Committee. The Audit Committee shall be
composed of at least three members of the Board of Directors. Vacancies shall
be filled by the Board of Directors.
Qualifications of Members
Each member of the Audit Committee shall be a Director who, in the judgment of
the Board of Directors, is financially literate and possesses the ability to
read and understand the fundamental financial statements of the Company and its
subsidiaries, including balance sheets, income statements and cash flow
statements. At least one member of the Audit Committee shall, in the judgment
of the Board of Directors, have accounting or related financial management
expertise, which may include employment experience in finance or accounting,
certification in accounting or any other comparable experience, including
being, or having been, a chief executive officer or other senior officer with
financial oversight responsibilities.
Independence of Members
Members of the Audit Committee shall be free from any relationship to the
Company or its subsidiaries that, in the judgment of the Board of Directors,
may interfere with the exercise of their independence from management of the
Company. Other than in their capacity as members of the Board of Directors,
members of the Audit Committee may not be affiliates, officers or employees of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries and may not accept from the Company any
consulting, advisory or other compensatory fees other than Company Board and
Committee fees. Appointments to the Audit Committee shall be consistent with
standards for determining independence promulgated by the Securities and
Exchange Commission and the NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC.
Meetings, Quorum, Informal Actions, Minutes
The Audit Committee shall meet on a regular basis. Special meetings may be
called by the Chair of the Audit Committee. A majority of the members of the
Audit Committee shall constitute a quorum. Concurrence of a majority of the
quorum (or, in case a quorum at the time consists of two members of the
Committee, both members present) shall be required to take formal action of the
Audit Committee. Written minutes shall be kept for all formal meetings of the
Committee.
The Audit Committee may act by unanimous written consent, and may conduct
meetings via conference telephone or similar communication equipment.
Members of the Audit Committee may meet informally with officers or employees
of the Company and its subsidiaries and with the Company's independent auditors
and may conduct informal inquiries and studies without the necessity of formal
meetings. The Audit Committee may delegate to its chair or to one or more of
its members the responsibility for performing routine functions as, for
example, review of press releases announcing results of operations.
Responsibilities
The audit committee shall provide assistance to the Board of Directors in
fulfilling their oversight responsibility to the shareholders, potential
shareholders, the investment community, and others relating to the Company's
financial statements and the financial reporting process, the systems of
internal accounting and financial controls, the internal audit function, the
annual independent audit of the Company's financial statements. In so doing, it
is the responsibility of the committee to maintain free and open communication
between the committee, independent auditors, the internal auditors and
management of the Company. In discharging its oversight role, the committee is
empowered to investigate any matter brought to its attention with full access
to all books, records, facilities, and personnel of the Company and the power
to retain outside counsel, or other experts for this purpose.
The Company's independent auditors shall report directly to the Audit
Committee. The Audit Committee shall be directly responsible for the
appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of the Company's
independent auditors, including the resolution of disagreements between the
independent auditors and the Company's management, and, where appropriate, the
replacement of the Company's independent auditors subject to the approval of
the Board. The Audit Committee shall approve all auditing services and all
significant non-audit services to be provided to the Company by the independent
auditors. The Board of Directors may, in its discretion, determine to submit to
stockholders for approval or ratification the appointment of the Company's
independent auditors.
The Audit Committee shall oversee the independence and performance of the
Company's independent auditors. The Committee shall ensure that the independent
auditors periodically submit to the Audit Committee a formal written statement
delineating all relationships between the auditors and the Company and shall
engage in an active dialogue with the auditors with respect to any disclosed
relationships or services that may impact the auditor's independence or
objectivity. The Audit Committee shall make recommendations to the Board of
Directors for appropriate action in response to the auditors' report to satisfy
itself of the auditors' independence.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Audit Committee shall:
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Review the scope of proposed audits to be performed with respect to the
Company's financial statements in the context of the Company's particular
characteristics and requirements.
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Review with the independent auditors the results of the auditing engagement and
any recommendations the auditors may have with respect to the Company's
financial, accounting or auditing systems.
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Review with the independent auditors significant deficiencies and
material weaknesses or breaches of internal controls encountered
during the course of the audit.
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Inquire of management and the independent auditors whether any significant
financial reporting issues were discussed during the course of the audit and,
if so, how they were resolved.
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Review with management and the independent auditors changes in accounting
standards or rules promulgated by Financial Accounting Standards Board, Public
Accounting Oversight Board or the Securities and Exchange Commission that may
effect the Company's financial statements.
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Request an explanation from management and the independent auditors concerning
the effects of significant changes in accounting practices or policies.
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Inquire about significant contingencies or estimates which may effect the
Company's financial statements and the basis for the Company's presentation of
such matters.
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Review the adequacy of the internal financial and operational controls of the
Company with staff performing internal auditing functions and with the
independent auditors.
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Establish procedures for the confidential, anonymous submission by the
employees, and the receipt, retention, and treatment by the Company, of the
complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing
matters.
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At least annually, meet individually and privately with the independent
auditors, internal auditors, and management in executive session to, among
other matters, help evaluate the Company's internal financial accounting and
reporting staff and procedures.
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Review the activities of the Risk Oversight Committee.
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Receive and review a draft of the 10K, 10Q, and the financial section of the
annual report to stockholders, with accompanying notes, and Management's
Discussion and Analysis.
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Report the Committee's activities to the full Board of Directors on a regular
basis.
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Review, approve or ratify any related party transactions. The procedure for review
includes the nature of the relationship, the materiality of the transaction, the
related person’s interest in the transaction and position, the benefit to them and
the Company, and the effect on the related person’s willingness or ability to
properly perform their duties at the Company. The Committee may utilize the Company
Code of Ethics for officers, Directors and employees as it deems it to be applicable.
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Review and assess the adequacy of this Charter on an annual basis.
Committee Resources
The Audit Committee is authorized to employ the services of such Counsel,
consultants, experts and personnel, including persons already employed or
engaged by the Company, as the Committee may deem reasonably necessary to
enable it to fully perform its duties and fulfill its responsibilities. The
Audit Committee shall determine the appropriate funding that the Company shall
provide for payments of compensation to the independent auditors and to any
experts employed by the Audit Committee.
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