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CASS INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC

For the period ended Apr 16, 2024. Filed Mar 7, 2024.

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What shareholders are asked to vote on at a company's meeting. It is where to find what directors and top executives are paid, and who owns the most shares.

Apr 16, 2024 · Filed Mar 7, 2024

CASS$54.18-0.2%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Consent Solicitation Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant☒
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant☐

Check the appropriate box:

☐Preliminary Proxy Statement
☐Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
☒Definitive Proxy Statement
☐Definitive Additional Materials
☐Soliciting Material pursuant to § 240.14a-12

(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

☒No fee required.
☐Fee paid previously with preliminary materials:

12444 Powerscourt Drive, Suite 550

St. Louis, Missouri, 63131

Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders

To be held on April 16, 2024

The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Cass Information Systems, Inc. will be held at the location specified below on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. local time, for the following purposes:

  1. To elect three directors to serve, each for a three-year term;

  2. To hold a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation;

  3. To ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for 2024; and

  4. To act upon such other matters as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

The close of business on March 1, 2024 has been fixed as the record date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

This year’s Annual Meeting will be held at The Bogey Club, located at 9266 Clayton Road, Saint Louis, Missouri 63124.

All shareholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting.

This booklet includes the notice and proxy statement, which describes the business we will conduct at the meeting and provides information about the Company that you should consider when you vote your shares. The Company has not planned a communications segment or any presentations for the Annual Meeting.

Whether or not you intend to be present, it is important that your shares be represented and voted at the Annual Meeting. You can vote your shares by one of the following methods: vote over the internet or by telephone using the instructions on your proxy card, or mark, sign, date and promptly return your proxy card. The presence, in person or by properly executed proxy, of a majority of the common stock outstanding on the record date is necessary to constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting.

Please note that you will be required to present an admission ticket to attend the Annual Meeting. Your admission ticket is attached to your proxy card. If your shares are held in the name of a broker, trust, bank or other nominee, you can request an admission ticket by contacting our Investor Relations department at (314) 506-5500 or ir@cassinfo.com.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Matthew S. Schuckman

Secretary

St. Louis, Missouri

March 7, 2024

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 16, 2024 : The Company’s Proxy Statement and annual report on Form 10-K for the 2023 fiscal year are available on our Investor Relations site at www.cassinfo.com. The Company makes available free of charge, through its website www.cassinfo.com, its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed and furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), as soon as reasonably practicable after such documents are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC).

CASS INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. Proxy Statement

Table of Contents

Proposal No. 1 - Election of Directors6
Director Biographies7
Corporate Governance11
Corporate Governance Guidelines11
Board Evaluation11
Board Leadership Structure11
Risk Management Oversight12
Communications with Directors13
Board Meetings and Committees13
Board Diversity16
Director Compensation17
Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions19
Report of the Audit and Risk Committee19
Information Security and Date Privacy20
Environmental, Social, and Governance20
Shareholder Engagement21
Proposal No. 2 - Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation22
Executive Compensation23
Compensation Discussions and Analysis23
Committee Review of Executive Compensation26
Shareholder Feedback on Say on Pay27
Role of the Compensation Committee’s Independent Consultant27
Executive Summary of Results27
CEO Pay Ratio35
Post-Fiscal Year Compensation Actions37
Compensation Committee Report39
Executive Officers39
Summary Compensation Table40
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End43
Pay Versus Performance Table44
SAR’s Exercised and Stock Vested50
Pension Benefits51
Ownership of Common Stock52
Directors and Officers52
Proposal No. 3 - Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm54
Shareholder Proposals for the 2025 Annual Meeting56
Other Matters; Householding; Availability of Proxy Materials57

Proxy Statement

12444 Powerscourt Drive, Suite 550

St. Louis, Missouri, 63131

Proxy Statement

Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held April 16, 2024

This Proxy Statement is being furnished to the common shareholders of Cass Information Systems, Inc. (the Company) on or about March 7, 2024 in connection with the solicitation of proxies on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company (the Board) for use at the annual meeting of shareholders (the Annual Meeting) to be held on April 16, 2024 at the time and place and for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting, and at any adjournment of that meeting.

Holders of common stock, par value $.50 per share, of the Company at its close of business on March 1, 2024 (the Record Date) are entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Annual Meeting. On the Record Date, there were 13,631,684 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Holders of record of common stock are entitled to one vote per share of common stock they held of record on the Record Date on each matter that may properly come before the Annual Meeting. Company management and members of the Board, in the aggregate, directly or indirectly controlled approximately 2.79% of the common stock outstanding on the Record Date.

Shareholders of record on the Record Date are entitled to cast their votes in person or by properly executed proxies at the Annual Meeting. The presence, in person or by properly executed proxy, of a majority of the shares of common stock outstanding on the Record Date is necessary to constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting. If a quorum is not present at the time the Annual Meeting is convened, the Company may adjourn the Annual Meeting.

If a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote which are present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting is required to elect directors; approve, by advisory vote, executive compensation; ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2024; and to act on any other matters properly brought before the Annual Meeting. This means that of the shares represented at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote, a majority of them must be voted “for” a director nominee for such nominee to be elected or “for” such other proposal for it to be approved. Shareholders may not cumulate their votes in the election of directors.

In tabulating the voting results, abstentions and shares represented by broker non-votes (explained below) will be counted as present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining a quorum. For purposes of determining whether the shareholders have elected a director nominee or approved a matter, abstentions are treated as shares represented and entitled to vote on each proposal and will thus have the same effect as a vote “against” a director nominee or such other proposal. Shares held by brokers that do not have discretionary authority to vote on a proposal and have not received voting instructions from their clients are considered “broker non-votes.” Broker non-votes will not be considered in determining the number of votes necessary for approval of a matter and will have no effect on the outcome of the vote for directors or other proposals. As such, for your vote to be counted, you must submit your voting instruction form to your broker.

Please note that brokers may no longer use discretionary authority to vote shares on the election of directors if they have not received instructions from their clients. Please vote your proxy so your vote can be counted. The inspector of elections appointed for the Annual Meeting will separately tabulate and certify affirmative and negative votes, abstentions and broker non-votes.

Any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked by the person giving it at any time before it is voted. Proxies may be revoked by (i) filing with the Secretary of the Company, at or before the Annual Meeting, a written notice of revocation bearing a date later than the date of the proxy, (ii) duly executing and dating a subsequent proxy relating to the common stock and delivering it to the Secretary of the Company at or before the vote is taken at the Annual Meeting, or (iii) attending

the Annual Meeting and voting in person (although attendance at the Annual Meeting will not in and of itself constitute a revocation of a proxy). Any written notice revoking a proxy, or any subsequent proxy, should be sent to Cass Information Systems, Inc., Attn: Matthew S. Schuckman, Secretary, 12444 Powerscourt Drive, Suite 550, St. Louis, Missouri 63131.

All common stock represented at the Annual Meeting by properly executed proxies received prior to or at the Annual Meeting and not properly revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the instructions indicated in such proxies. If no instructions are indicated, such proxies will be voted FOR the election of the Board’s director nominees; FOR approval of executive compensation; FOR the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2024; and in the discretion of the proxies with respect to any other matter that is properly brought before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof. The Board does not know of any matters other than the matters described in the Notice of Annual Meeting attached to the Proxy Statement that will come before the Annual Meeting.

The Board solicits the proxies. In addition to the use of the mails, proxies may be solicited personally or by telephone or electronic transmission by directors, officers or regular employees of the Company. It is contemplated that brokerage houses, custodians, nominees and fiduciaries will be requested to forward the soliciting material to the beneficial owners of common stock held of record by such persons, and will be reimbursed by the Company for expenses incurred therewith. The cost of solicitation of proxies will be borne by the Company.

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