Pension Benefit Equalization Plan

PENSION BENEFIT EQUALIZATION PLAN


OF


THE DUN & BRADSTREET CORPORATION


As in effect on January 1, 2000 with certain earlier effective dates


I. Purpose of the Plan


The purpose of the Pension Benefit Equalization Plan of The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (the "Plan") is to provide a means of equalizing the benefits of those employees of The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (the "Corporation") and it subsidiaries participating in the Retirement Account of The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (the "Retirement Account") whose funded benefits under the Retirement Account are or will be limited by the application of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"), the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") or any applicable law or regulation. The Plan is intended to be an "excess benefit plan", as that term is defined in Section 3(36) of ERISA, with respect to those participants whose benefits under the Retirement Account have been limited by Section 415 of the Code, and a "top hat" plan meeting the requirements of Sections 201(2), 301(a)(3), 401(a)(1) and 4021(b)(6) of ERISA with respect to those participants whose benefits under the Retirement Account have been limited by Section 401(a)(17) of the Code.


II. Administration of the Plan


The Board of Directors ("Board") of the Corporation and the Compensation and Benefits Committee appointed by the Board (the "Committee") severally (and not jointly) shall be responsible for the administration of the Plan. The Committee shall consist of not less than three (3) nor more than seven (7) members, as may be appointed by the Board from time to time. Any member of the Committee may resign at will by notice to the Board or be removed at any time (with or without cause) by the Board.


The members of the Committee may from time to time allocate responsibilities among themselves and may delegate to any management committee, employee, director or agent its responsibility to perform any act hereunder, including without limitation those matters involving the exercise of discretion, provided that such delegation shall be subject to revocation at any time at its discretion.


The Committee (and its delegees) shall have the exclusive authority to interpret the provisions of the Plan and construe all of its terms (including, without limitation, all disputed and uncertain terms), to adopt, amend, and rescind rules and regulations for the administration of the 2
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Plan, and generally to conduct and administer the Plan and to make all determinations in connection with the Plan as may be necessary or advisable. All such actions of the Committee shall be conclusive and binding upon all Participants, Former Participants, Vested Former Participants and Surviving Spouses. All deference permitted by law shall be given to such interpretations, determinations and actions.


Any action to be taken by the Committee shall be taken by a majority of its members, either at a meeting or by written instrument approved by such majority in the absence of a meeting. A written resolution or memorandum signed by one Committee member and the secretary of the Committee shall be sufficient evidence to any person of any action taken pursuant to the Plan.


Any person, corporation or other entity may serve in more than one fiduciary capacity under the Plan.


III. Participation in the Plan


All members of the Retirement Account shall be eligible to participate in this Plan whenever their benefits under the Retirement Account, as from time to time in effect, would exceed the limitations on benefits and contributions imposed by Sections 401, 415 or any other applicable Section of the Code, calculated from and after September 2, 1974. For purposes of this Plan, benefits of a participant in this Plan shall be determined as though no provision were contained in the Retirement Account incorporating limitations imposed by Sections 401, 415 or any other Section of the Code.


IV. Benefit Limitations


For purposes of this Plan and the Retirement Account, the limitations imposed by Section 415 of the Code shall be deemed to be met when the sum of the participant's defined benefit plan fraction and his defined contribution plan fraction equals 1.0, as such fractions are computed for purposes of Section 415 of the Code and Section 19.4 of the Retirement Account. Effective for Plan Years beginning on after December 31, 1999, in accordance with changes included in the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1995, this Section IV shall no longer apply with respect to any participant who has one (1) Hour of Service (as such term is defined in the Retirement Account) after December 31, 1999.


V. Equalized Benefits


The Corporation shall pay to each eligible member of the Retirement Account and his beneficiaries a supplemental pension benefit equal to the benefit which would have been payable to them under the Retirement Account, as if no provision were set forth therein incorporating limitations imposed by Sections 401, 415 or any other applicable Section of the Code, to the extent that such benefit otherwise payable under the Retirement Account exceeds the benefit limitations related to the Retirement Account as described in Section III of this Plan. 3
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Subject to Section XII of this Plan, such supplemental pension benefits shall be payable in accordance with all of the terms and conditions applicable to the participant's benefits under the Retirement Account, including whatever optional benefits he may have elected; provided, however, if an Election (as defined in Section IX of this Plan) or a Special Election (as defined in Section X of this Plan) has been made and becomes effective prior to the date when benefits under this Plan would otherwise be payable, the form of payment of benefits under this Plan shall be in the form so elected pursuant to such Election or Special Election; provided further, that notwithstanding any Election or Special Election, if the lump sum value, determined in the same manner as provided under Section IX below, of the benefits payable under this Plan is Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) or less at the time such benefits are payable under this Plan, such benefits shall be payable as a lump sum.


Any portion of the benefits payable under this Plan as a lump sum, including any amounts payable as a lump sum under Section VI, shall be paid sixty (60) days after the date when payments of the same benefits under this Plan, if payable in the form of an annuity, would otherwise commence, or as soon as practicable thereafter, provided the Committee has approved such payment. Any such lump sum distribution of a participant's or beneficiary's benefits under this Plan shall fully satisfy all present and future Plan liability with respect to such participant or beneficiary for such portion or all of such benefits so distributed. Any portion of the benefits payable under this Plan as an annuity shall commence on the date when annuity benefits under this Plan would otherwise commence, without regard to any Election or Special Election.


VI. Payments of Benefits in the Event of Death


In case of the death of the participant, the amount in his account shall, where applicable and subject to Section XII of this Plan, be distributed to the surviving beneficiary who has been designated to receive benefits under the Retirement Account and in the manner which has been elected under the Retirement Account; provided, however, if an Election (as defined in Section IX of this Plan) or a Special Election (as defined in Section X of this Plan) has been made and becomes effective prior to the date when benefits under this Plan would otherwise be payable, the form of payment of benefits payable to such surviving beneficiary under this Plan shall be in the form so elected pursuant to such Election or Special Election; provided further, that notwithstanding any Election or Special Election, if the lump sum value, determined in the same manner as provided under Section IX below, of the benefits payable under this Plan is Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) or less at the time such benefits are payable to such surviving beneficiary under this Plan, such benefits shall be payable as a lump sum.


If the participant has not designated a beneficiary under the Retirement Account, or if no such beneficiary is living at the time of the participant's death, the amount, if any, in the participant's account that is distributable upon his death shall be distributed to the person or persons who would otherwise be entitled to receive a distribution of the participant's Retirement Account benefits. Payment to such person or persons shall completely discharge the Plan with respect to the amount so paid. 4
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VII. Change in Control


Upon the occurrence of a "Change in Control" of the Corporation, as such term is defined below,


(i) each participant and beneficiary already receiving benefits and/or
survivor's benefits under the Plan shall receive a lump sum
distribution of their unpaid benefits and/or survivor's benefits under
the Plan in an amount equal to the present value of such benefits
and/or survivor's benefits in full satisfaction of all present and
future Plan liability with respect to such participant or beneficiary,
and


(ii) each vested participant who is not already receiving benefits
under the Plan shall receive (a) a lump sum distribution of the present
value of his accrued benefit under the Plan as of the date of such
Change in Control, within thirty (30) days of the date of such Change
in Control and (b) a lump sum distribution of the present value of his
additional benefit, if any, accrued under the Plan from the date of the
Change in Control until the date he retires or terminates employment
with the Corporation, within thirty (30) days from the date of the
participant's retirement or termination of employment with the
Corporation.


In determining the amount of the lump sum distributions to be paid under this Section VII, the following actuarial assumptions shall be used:


(I) the interest rate used shall be the interest rate used by the
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for determining the value of
immediate annuities as of January 1st of either the year of the
occurrence of the Change in Control or the participant's retirement or
termination of employment, whichever is applicable;


(II) the 1983 Group Annuity Mortality Table shall be used; and


(III) it shall be assumed that all participants retired or terminated
employment with the Corporation on the date of the occurrence of the
Change in Control for purposes of determining the amount of the lump
sum distribution to be paid upon the occurrence of the Change in
Control.


For purposes of this Plan, a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if


(A) any "Person," as such term is used in Section 13(d) and 14(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")
(other than the Corporation, any trustee or other fiduciary holding
securities under an employee benefit plan of the Corporation, or any
corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the shareholders of the
Corporation in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of
stock of the Corporation), is or becomes the "Beneficial Owner" (as
defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly,
of securities of the Corporation representing twenty 5
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percent (20%) or more of the combined voting power of the Corporation's
then outstanding securities;


(B) during any period of twenty-four (24) months (not including any
period prior to the effective date of this provision), individuals who
at the beginning of such period constitute the Board, and any new
director (other than (1) a director designated by a person who has
entered into an agreement with the Corporation to effect a transaction
described in clause (A), (C) or (D) of this Section), (2) a director
designated by any Person (including the Corporation) who publicly
announces an intention to take or to consider taking actions ...