UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14C INFORMATION

Information Statement Pursuant to Section 14(c) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant ☑

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐

Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders

To the Holders of Class A Common Stock and

Class B Common Stock of ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY:

We will hold our 94th annual meeting of shareholders at 9:30 a.m., local time, on Tuesday, April 30, 2019, in the Auditorium of the F.W. Hirt – Perry Square Building, located at 100 Erie Insurance Place (Sixth and French Streets), Erie, Pennsylvania 16530 for the following purposes:

This notice and information statement, together with a copy of our annual report to shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2018, are being sent to all holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock as of the close of business on Friday, March 1, 2019, the record date established by our board of directors. Holders of Class B common stock will also receive a form of proxy. Holders of Class A common stock will not receive proxies because they do not have the right to vote on any of the matters to be acted upon at our annual meeting.

Holders of Class B common stock are requested to complete, sign and return the enclosed form of proxy in the envelope provided, whether or not they expect to attend our annual meeting in person.

March 29, 2019

Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie Indemnity Company — 2019 Information Statement

Table of Contents

ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY

INFORMATION STATEMENT

Introduction

Unless the context indicates otherwise, all references in this information statement to “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” mean Erie Indemnity Company. Erie Insurance Exchange, or the “Exchange,” has four property and casualty insurance subsidiaries: Erie Insurance Company, Erie Insurance Company of New York, Erie Insurance Property & Casualty Company and Flagship City Insurance Company. We sometimes refer to the Exchange and its property and casualty insurance subsidiaries as the “Property and Casualty Group.” The Exchange also owns 100 percent of the common stock of Erie Family Life Insurance Company, or “EFL,” a life insurance company.

This information statement, which is first being mailed to the holders of our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock on or about March 29, 2019, is furnished to such holders to provide information regarding us and our 2019 annual meeting of shareholders. This information statement is also being furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our board of directors from holders of Class B common stock to be voted at our 2019 annual meeting of shareholders and at any adjournment, postponement or continuation thereof. Our annual meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m., local time, on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 in the Auditorium of the F.W. Hirt — Perry Square Building, located at 100 Erie Insurance Place (Sixth and French Streets), Erie, Pennsylvania 16530. Holders of Class B common stock will also receive a form of proxy.

Voting at Our Annual Meeting

We are not asking holders of our Class A common stock for a proxy and you are requested not to send us a proxy. Only holders of Class B common stock of record at the close of business on March 1, 2019, are entitled to vote at our annual meeting. Each share of Class B common stock is entitled to one vote on each matter to be considered at our annual meeting. Except as otherwise provided in Sections 1756(b)(1) and (2) of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended, or “BCL,” in the case of adjourned meetings, a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock will constitute a quorum at our annual meeting for the election of directors.

As of the close of business on March 1, 2019, we had 46,189,068 shares of Class A common stock outstanding, which are not entitled to vote on any matters to be acted upon at our 2019 annual meeting, and 2,542 shares of Class B common stock outstanding, which have the exclusive right to vote on all matters to be acted upon at our 2019 annual meeting.

There are three H.O. Hirt Trusts. Thomas B. Hagen, Jonathan Hirt Hagen and Elizabeth Hirt Vorsheck, or “Mrs. Vorsheck,” all of whom are directors of the Company, are beneficiaries of the Trusts. The H.O. Hirt Trusts collectively own 2,340 shares of Class B common stock, which, because such shares represent 92.05% of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock entitled to vote at our 2019 annual meeting, is sufficient to determine the outcome of any matter submitted to a vote of the holders of our Class B common stock, assuming all of the shares held by the H.O. Hirt Trusts are voted in the same manner. As of the date of this information statement, the individual trustees of the H.O. Hirt Trusts are Mrs. Vorsheck and Jonathan Hirt Hagen, and the corporate trustee is Sentinel Trust Company, L.B.A., or “Sentinel.” Mrs. Vorsheck and Jonathan Hirt Hagen are both candidates for re-election to the board at our 2019 annual meeting.

Under the provisions of the H.O. Hirt Trusts, the shares of Class B common stock held by the H.O. Hirt Trusts are to be voted as directed by a majority of trustees then in office. If at least a majority of the trustees then in office of each of the H.O. Hirt Trusts vote for the election of the 12 candidates for director named below, such candidates will be elected as directors even if all shares of Class B common stock other than those held by the H.O. Hirt Trusts do not vote for such candidates. We have not been advised as of the date of this information statement how the trustees of the H.O. Hirt Trusts intend to vote at our annual meeting.

2019 Information Statement    1

Description of Our Business

Since 1925, we have served as the attorney-in-fact for the policyholders at the Exchange. The Exchange is a reciprocal insurance exchange organized under Article X of Pennsylvania’s Insurance Company Law of 1921 under which individuals, partnerships and corporations are authorized to exchange reciprocal or inter-insurance contracts with each other, or with individuals, partnerships, and corporations of other states and countries, providing indemnity among themselves from any loss which may be insured against under any provision of the insurance laws except life insurance. Each applicant for insurance from the Exchange signs a subscriber’s agreement, which appoints us as the attorney-in-fact for the subscriber (policyholder) to transact the business of the Exchange on their behalf. As attorney-in-fact, we are required to perform certain services relating to the sales, underwriting and issuance of policies on behalf of the Exchange. We also provide management services to the Exchange and its insurance subsidiaries.

The Property and Casualty Group writes personal and commercial lines of property and casualty insurance coverages exclusively through 2,208 independent agencies comprised of more than 12,850 licensed agents. The underwriting results of the Property and Casualty Group are pooled. As a result of the Exchange’s 94.5% participation in the reinsurance pooling arrangement and its ownership of the other property and casualty insurance entities, the underwriting risk of the Property and Casualty Group’s business is borne by the Exchange.

We charge the Exchange a management fee calculated as a percentage, limited to 25%, of all premiums written or assumed by the Exchange. Management fees accounted for 96.5%, 96.6% and 96.8%, respectively, of our revenues for the three years ended December 31, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The management fee rate was 25% during 2016, 2017 and 2018, and beginning January 1, 2019, the rate has been set at 25%.

Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock

The following table sets forth, as of March 1, 2019, the amount of our outstanding Class B common stock owned by shareholders known by us to own beneficially more than 5% of our Class B common stock.

2    Erie Indemnity Company

The following table sets forth, as of March 1, 2019, the amount of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock beneficially owned by (i) each director and candidate for director nominated by our Nominating and Governance Committee, or “nominating committee,” (ii) each executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table and (iii) all of our executive officers and directors as a group.

2019 Information Statement    3

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the “Exchange Act,” requires that the officers and directors of a corporation, such as us, that has a class of equity securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, as well as persons who own more than 10% of a class of equity securities of such a corporation, file reports of their ownership of such securities, as well as statements of changes in such ownership, with the corporation and the SEC. Based upon written representations we received from our officers and directors and shareholders owning more than 10% of any class of our stock, and our review of the statements of changes of ownership filed with us by our officers and directors and shareholders owning more than 10% of any class of our stock during 2018, we believe that all such filings required during 2018 were made on a timely basis.

4    Erie Indemnity Company

Our Board of Directors

Introduction

Our board of directors is currently comprised of 13 members, all of whom were elected at our 2018 annual meeting to serve for a term of one year. Vacancies on our board of directors may be filled only by persons elected by a majority of the remaining directors, or by our voting shareholders, in accordance with our bylaws. On February 14, 2019, our board of directors accepted our nominating committee’s recommendation to set the number of directors at 12, effective at the 2019 annual meeting.

All directors hold office until their respective successors are elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal. There are no family relationships between any of our directors or executive officers, except for the following:

During 2018, each director attended more than 75% of the number of meetings of our board of directors and the standing committees of our board of directors of which such director was a member.

Board Leadership and Executive Sessions

The chairman of our board of directors is elected annually by the remaining directors on our board. In addition to presiding at all meetings of shareholders and of our board of directors, the chairman’s duties include setting priorities, establishing agendas for meetings of the board, providing board leadership, and communicating with the chief executive officer, or “CEO,” on matters of strategic direction. The chairman also serves ex officio as a member of all other board committees of which he is not a designated member.

Our board of directors may, but is not required to, annually elect one of its members to serve as vice chairman of the board, and may remove or replace such person at any time and for any reason. The vice chairman of the board performs the duties (including ex officio membership on committees) of the chairman of the board when the chairman is absent or unable to act or during such time as no individual is serving as chairman of the board. The vice chairman of the board also performs such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the board of directors.

Since our incorporation in 1925, we have generally separated the positions of chairman of the board and CEO of the Company. Although our board of directors has no specific policy regarding separation of these offices and our bylaws permit the chairman to serve as CEO, our board has determined that separating these positions is currently in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders. Given the length of time and different capacities in which our current chairman has served the Company, including as a prior president and CEO, and his status as an independent director under the rules of the NASDAQ Global Select Market^®, or “NASDAQ,” our board believes that separating these positions is an important component of our management succession plan, and allows our chairman to lead the board in its independent oversight of management and our CEO to focus on the day-to-day issues affecting our business.

A majority of the directors on our board meet the definition of an “independent director” under NASDAQ rules. Our independent directors meet in executive session without management directors or management present. These sessions generally take place prior to or following regularly scheduled board meetings. The directors met in such sessions five times during 2018.

2019 Information Statement    5

Board Oversight of Risk

6    Erie Indemnity Company

Committees of Our Board

Our board of directors met six times in 2018. The standing committees of our board of directors are our executive committee, audit committee, compensation committee, nominating committee, charitable giving committee, investment committee, strategy committee and exchange relationship committee.

Our executive committee, which did not meet during 2018, has the authority, subject to certain limitations, to exercise the power of our board of directors between regular meetings.

Our audit committee met seven times in 2018. Consistent with Section 1405(c)(4) of the Pennsylvania Insurance Holding Companies Act, or the “Holding Companies Act,” and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or “Sarbanes-Oxley,” our audit committee has responsibility for the selection of independent registered public accountants, reviewing the scope and results of their audit and reviewing our financial condition and the adequacy of our accounting, financial, internal and operating controls. Our audit committee operates pursuant to a written charter, a copy of which may be viewed on our website at: http://www.erieinsurance.com.

Our compensation committee met six times in 2018. Consistent with Section 1405(c)(4.1) of the Holding Companies Act and our bylaws, our compensation committee has responsibility for recommending to our board of directors, at least annually, the competitiveness and appropriateness of the salaries, short- and long-term incentive plan awards, terms of employment, non-qualified retirement plans, severance benefits and perquisites of our CEO, executive vice presidents and such other named executives as required by rules of the SEC or NASDAQ listing standards, and such other responsibilities as our board of directors may designate. See Executive Compensation — Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation. Our compensation committee operates pursuant to a written charter, a copy of which may be viewed on our website at: http://www.erieinsurance.com.

Our nominating committee met four times in 2018. Consistent with Section 1405(c)(4.1) of the Holding Companies Act and our bylaws, our nominating committee has responsibility for identification of individuals believed to be qualified to become members of our board of directors and to recommend to our board of directors nominees to stand for election as directors; identification of directors qualified to fill vacancies on any committee of our board; and evaluation of the procedures and process by which each committee of our board of directors undertakes to self-evaluate such committee’s performance. Our nominating committee operates pursuant to a written charter, a copy of which may be viewed on our website at: http://www.erieinsurance.com.

Board Committee Composition

Members and chairs of the standing committees of our board of directors are identified in the table below.

2019 Information Statement    7

Director Education

We encourage our directors to further their knowledge and advance their skills as directors of a public company. To that end, we offer a director education program which provides each director with access to various resources to assist him or her with enhancing those skills necessary to be an effective director. See Director Compensation — Director Education Program.

Director — Shareholder Communications

Our shareholders may communicate with our board of directors through our corporate secretary. Shareholders who wish to express any concerns to any of our directors may do so by sending a description of those concerns in writing addressed to a particular director, or in the alternative, to “Non-management Directors” as a group, care of our corporate secretary at our headquarters, 100 Erie Insurance Place, Erie, Pennsylvania 16530. All such communications that are received by our corporate secretary will be promptly forwarded to the addressee or addressees set forth in the communication.

Recognizing that director attendance at our annual meeting provides our shareholders with an opportunity to communicate with directors about issues affecting us, we actively encourage our directors to attend our annual meeting. All of our current directors attended our 2018 annual meeting.

8    Erie Indemnity Company

Proposal 1

Election of Directors

Introduction

The election of directors by the holders of our Class B common stock is governed by provisions of the Holding Companies Act, in addition to provisions of the BCL and our bylaws. The following discussion summarizes these statutory and bylaw provisions and describes the process undertaken in connection with the nomination of candidates for election as directors by the holders of Class B common stock at our annual meeting.

Background of Our Nominating Committee

Section 1405(c)(4.1) of the Holding Companies Act provides that the board of directors of a domestic insurer must establish one or more committees comprised solely of directors who are not officers or employees of the insurer or of any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the insurer. Such committee or committees must have responsibility for, among other things, recommending candidates to be nominated by the board of directors, in addition to any other nominations by voting shareholders, for election as directors by the voting shareholders. Section 1405(c)(5) of the Holding Companies Act provides that the above provisions shall not apply to a domestic insurer if the person controlling such insurer is an insurer, an attorney-in-fact for a reciprocal exchange, a mutual insurance holding company or a publicly held corporation having a board of directors and committees thereof which already meet the requirements of Section 1405(c)(4.1). For purposes of the Holding Companies Act, we are deemed to control the Exchange and its subsidiaries, and our board of directors and its committees are in compliance with Section 1405(c)(4.1).

Section 3.09 of our bylaws is consistent with this statutory provision and provides that (i) our board of directors must appoint annually a nominating committee that consists of not less than three directors, each of whom is not an officer or employee of us or of any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with us, and (ii) our nominating committee must, prior to each annual meeting of shareholders, determine and nominate candidates for the office of director to be elected by the holders of Class B common stock to serve terms as established by our bylaws and until their successors are elected and qualified.

In accordance with this bylaw provision, on April 24, 2018 our board of directors designated a nominating committee consisting of Jonathan Hirt Hagen, chair, Thomas W. Palmer and Mrs. Vorsheck. As chairman of our board, Thomas B. Hagen also serves ex officio as a voting member of the nominating committee. Consistent with the Holding Companies Act, none of these persons is an officer or employee of us or of any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with us. Each member of our nominating committee is an independent director as defined in the rules applicable to companies listed on the NASDAQ.

Nominating Procedures

Under Section 2.07(a) of our bylaws, nominations of persons for election to our board of directors may be made at any meeting at which directors are to be elected (i) by or at the direction of our board of directors upon the recommendation of our nominating committee or (ii) by any holder of our Class B common stock.

With respect to nominations by or at the direction of our nominating committee, except as is required by rules promulgated by NASDAQ, the SEC or the Holding Companies Act, there are no specific, minimum qualifications that must be met by a candidate for our board of directors, and our nominating committee may take into account such factors as it deems appropriate. Our nominating committee generally bases its nominations on our general needs as well as the specific attributes of candidates that would add to the overall effectiveness of our board of directors. Specifically, among the significant factors that our nominating committee may take into consideration are judgment, skill, experience with businesses and other organizations of comparable size, the interplay of the candidate’s experience with the experience of other directors, and the extent to which the candidate would be a desirable addition to our board of directors and any committee of our board of directors.

2019 Information Statement    9

Although we do not have a formal policy or guidelines regarding diversity of membership of our board of directors, our corporate governance guidelines recognize the value of having a board that encompasses a broad range of skills, expertise, contacts, industry knowledge and diversity of opinion. Our board has not attempted to define “diversity” or otherwise require that the composition of our board include individuals from any particular background or who possess specific attributes.

Our nominating committee utilizes the following process to identify and evaluate the individuals that it selects, or recommends that our board of directors select, as director nominees:

After such review and consideration, our nominating committee recommends a slate of director nominees to the board of directors.

Actions Taken for Nominations

Our nominating committee met on February 9, 2019 for the purposes of evaluating the performance and qualifications of the current and proposed members of our board of directors and nominating candidates for election as directors by the holders of Class B common stock at our annual meeting.

Our bylaws provide that our board of directors shall consist of not less than 7, nor more than 16, directors, with the exact number to be fixed from time to time by resolution of our board of directors. At its meeting on February 9, 2019, our nominating committee recommended that the size of our board of directors be set at 12 persons and that 12 of the 13 incumbent directors as of such date be nominated to stand for re-election as directors by the holders of Class B common stock at our annual meeting. Claude C. Lilly III, a director since 2000, previously informed the nominating committee that he will retire from the board of directors at the end of his current term and not stand for re-election at our annual meeting.

On February 14, 2019, our board of directors accepted the report and recommendation of our nominating committee, set the number of directors to be elected at our annual meeting at 12 and approved the nomination of J. Ralph Borneman, Jr., Eugene C. Connell, Salvatore Correnti, LuAnn Datesh, Jonathan Hirt Hagen, Thomas B. Hagen, C. Scott Hartz, Brian A. Hudson, Sr., George R. Lucore, Thomas W. Palmer, Martin P. Sheffield and Elizabeth Hirt Vorsheck for election as directors by the holders of Class B common stock at our annual meeting. If elected, such persons would serve until our 2020 annual meeting of shareholders and until their successors are elected and qualified.

Candidates for Election

Unless otherwise instructed, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them for the election of the nominees named below. All of the nominees are currently directors of the Company. If a nominee becomes unavailable for any reason, it is intended that the proxies will be voted for a substitute nominee selected by our nominating committee. Our board of directors has no reason to believe the nominees named will be unable to serve if elected.

10    Erie Indemnity Company

The biography of each director nominee below contains information regarding that person’s principal occupation, positions held with the Company, age (as of April 1, 2019), service as a director, business experience, other public company director positions currently held or held at any time during the past five years, involvement in certain legal or administrative proceedings, if applicable, and the experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that caused our nominating committee to conclude that the person should serve as a member of our board of directors:

2019 Information Statement    11

12    Erie Indemnity Company

2019 Information Statement    13

Independent Directors

Our board of directors has determined that each of the following directors and director nominees satisfies the definition of an “independent director” as set forth in the rules promulgated by NASDAQ:

Director J. Ralph Borneman, Jr. does not meet the NASDAQ definition of an independent director since he is an owner and executive officer of an insurance agency that receives commission payments from the Company. See Related Person Transactions.

Required Vote

Cumulative voting rights do not exist with respect to the election of directors. A director nominee shall only be elected if the total votes cast by the voting shareholders for the election of such director nominee represents a majority of the Class B shares outstanding and entitled to vote at our annual meeting. An abstention will count as a vote against the proposal.

14    Erie Indemnity Company

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

The Compensation Discussion and Analysis provides a detailed description of our executive compensation philosophy and programs and the decisions the compensation committee of the board of directors has made under those programs. SEC regulations require disclosure of information about the compensation of our named executive officers, or “NEOs.” This includes our CEO, our CFO, and the next three most highly compensated officers of the Company. The following discussion focuses on the compensation of our NEOs for 2018, identified in the table below.

2018 Named Executive Officers

The Summary Compensation Table and supplemental tables thereunder report compensation calculated for our NEOs in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC.

Executive Summary

Our executive compensation program is developed and monitored by our compensation committee. We provide a mix of fixed and variable compensation that is intended to motivate our executives to execute on short- and long-term objectives that build sustainable long-term value for our enterprise. Base salary is established after consideration of external competitiveness and the level of experience of each executive. Variable compensation is based on a “pay-for-performance” philosophy and tied to our corporate strategy. The outcome of current year performance is recognized by our Annual Incentive Plan, or “AIP,” and longer-term performance is measured over a three-year period and rewarded by our Long-Term Incentive Plan, or “LTIP.”

Our AIP utilizes goals that are based on operational results, or “company performance goals,” and individual accomplishments, or “individual performance goals.” For our 2018 AIP, the company performance goals, weighted equally at 50% each, were (1) the Property and Casualty Group’s growth in direct written premium, or “DWP,” and (2) statutory combined ratio. For 2018, our results were as follows:

The performance goals for our LTIP are DWP growth, statutory combined ratio and return on invested assets. The plan is designed to reward participants based upon performance relative to an established peer group (see Long-Term Incentive Plan below for the composition of the peer group). Performance below that of the peer group results in payouts below target; performance equal to that of the peer group results in payouts at target; and performance better than the peer group results in payouts in excess of target. To achieve a maximum payout, our three-year DWP growth must exceed the peer group results by 450 basis points; statutory combined ratio must be lower than the peer group results by 600 basis points; and our return on invested assets must exceed the peer group results by 262.5 basis points.

2019 Information Statement    15

To date, we have information on 11 of the 12 measurement quarters for the 2016-2018 LTIP performance period and we expect performance relative to our peer group to be less than that of the 2015-2017 performance period, as illustrated below.

* Results for the 2016-2018 performance period are projected.

Our direct written premium growth continues to outperform our peers, though not by as much as for the 2015-2017 performance period. Our combined ratio is projected to be better than the peer group for the 2016-2018 LTIP performance period, though not as strong as in the prior performance period. Our return on invested assets is expected to be lower than the peer group. As a result, we expect the overall performance factor used to determine the payments to our NEOs under the LTIP to be lower than the prior year.

Additional information regarding our financial results for the year ended December 31, 2018, is provided in Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 21, 2019.

Say-on-Pay and Say-on-Frequency Advisory Vote Results

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, or “Dodd-Frank Act,” gives our Class B voting shareholders the right to approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation paid to our NEOs as disclosed in our information statement. We held this “say-on-pay” vote at our 2017 Annual Meeting and our voting shareholders unanimously approved the compensation of the Company’s NEOs. After considering the results of the vote, our compensation committee determined that no material changes to our compensation programs were necessary.

Companies subject to the “say-on-pay” rules are required to hold a vote at least once every six calendar years to determine the frequency of the say-on-pay vote — annually, biannually or triennially. In 2017, our Class B voting shareholders selected, on a non-binding advisory basis, “every three years” as the preferred frequency for having the opportunity to vote on the compensation of our NEOs. Accordingly, our next say-on-pay vote will take place in 2020.

Risk Management in Executive Compensation Plan Design

The compensation committee evaluates the risks associated with the annual and long-term incentive compensation programs for our executive and senior leaders. This evaluation, conducted annually, is intended to minimize the risk that such programs will promote behavior that would negatively impact the value of the Company or the Exchange. The committee ensures that performance measures used in these programs align with our overall business strategy.

Based on the results of these periodic assessments, we conclude that our compensation programs do not create undue material risk to the Company. There have been no material changes to our incentive plans or risk-mitigating factors since our last assessment and we have not identified any new risks that would change this conclusion. Other tools used to manage executive compensation risk and promote effective governance are identified in the table below.

16    Erie Indemnity Company

Measures Used to Mitigate Compensation Risk

2019 Information Statement    17

Executive Compensation Philosophy and Structure

The goal of our executive compensation program is to attract, motivate, retain and reward executives in a fiscally responsible manner that balances the interests of our shareholders with those of the policyholders of the Exchange. To achieve this objective, we design executive compensation programs that encourage our executives to strive for performance that is better than the industry average. We provide a mix of fixed and variable compensation that is intended to motivate our executives to execute on short- and long-term objectives that build sustainable long-term value. We achieve these objectives by providing the following elements of executive compensation.

Components of Our Executive Compensation Program

Executive Compensation Principles

Our executive compensation program includes industry best practices.

18    Erie Indemnity Company

Relationship Between Pay and Performance

Our variable pay compensation is tied to (1) each executive’s individual performance and (2) the performance of the Company and the Exchange, thereby supporting our performance-based compensation philosophy. Because our executives have a greater ability to influence our performance and financial results through their decisions, the percentage of their total compensation comprised of variable pay increases with level of responsibility.

Variable compensation opportunities (long- and short-term incentive target awards) comprised approximately 71 percent of our CEO’s total target annual compensation in 2018, 46 percent of which was in the form of long-term awards tied to corporate performance. Variable compensation opportunities comprised approximately 59 percent of our other NEOs’ total target annual compensation in 2018, 34 percent of which was in the form of long-term awards. We believe that tying a meaningful portion of our NEOs’ target earnings opportunity to variable compensation, while providing competitive levels of base salary, strikes an appropriate balance between achievement of operational goals and the pay earned by our executives.

2019 Information Statement    19

Setting Executive Compensation

Our compensation committee determines the compensation philosophy and policies for our executive officers, including our CEO and executive vice presidents. The committee is responsible for establishing principles that guide the design of compensation programs for all executives. In doing so, it reviews the performance of each executive and establishes individual compensation levels. The committee considers the nature and extent of each executive’s skills, scope of responsibilities, performance and effectiveness in supporting our long-term goals. The committee engaged Aon, an independent consultant, to assist it with the development and setting of executive compensation for 2018. In preparing the 2018 benchmark and survey data, Aon utilized the following best practice methodologies:

The peer group used in our 2018 base salary analysis was the same peer group used in 2017, with the exception of State Farm. State Farm was removed from the peer group because of its size. The company far exceeds our revenue as well as our net written premium and assets considerations.

2018 Executive Compensation Benchmarking Peer Group

In 2018, we paid Aon $50,216 for consulting services and $10,400 for compensation survey participation. We paid McLagan Partners, Inc., a division of Aon, $10,400 for compensation survey participation. In addition, we paid Ward Group, also a division of Aon, $1,250 for survey participation and $69,312 for consulting services. The committee has reviewed these services and determined that they do not impair the independence of Aon.

Principal Components of Executive Compensation

The principal components of our executive compensation program are base salary and bonus opportunities under our AIP and LTIP. Each of these items is discussed below.

20    Erie Indemnity Company

Base Salary

The committee set the 2018 base salaries of the NEOs, effective March 1, 2018. The adjustments were based on performance and/or market comparables.

Annual Incentive Plan

The 2018 AIP payouts for our NEOs were based on the attainment of company and individual performance goals established at the beginning of 2018. Our compensation committee believes that this is an appropriate balance of corporate and individual performance goals which results in increased differentiation of rewards and improved line of sight among participants. The weighting between corporate and individual performance goals is based on an NEO’s role within the organization. Performance measures and their weightings for the 2018 AIP appear in the table below.

2018 AIP Performance Measures and Weightings

Once the target percentages were determined, our compensation committee, with support from our board of directors, established AIP performance measures intended to drive strong organizational performance. At the end of each year our board of directors and management review our historical results, operating goals and industry estimates to identify those areas where performance-based incentives would have the greatest impact on helping us achieve our strategic objectives in the following year.

The compensation committee then established a minimum, or “threshold,” a target and a maximum level of achievement for each performance measure. The maximum was intended to incent participants to achieve a maximum performance payout. Results between the threshold and target provide a partial payout, recognizing that a portion of the goal was achieved. The company performance goals for the NEOs are shown in the table below.

2018 AIP Company Performance Goals

The committee believes these company performance goals promote growth (measured by an increase in DWP) while maintaining a strong underwriting discipline (evidenced by a favorable statutory combined ratio).

2019 Information Statement    21

2018 AIP Individual Performance Goals

Each NEO was assigned individual goals related to their scope of responsibility and aligned with our overall strategic priorities. These goals account for 20 percent of each NEO’s AIP award and may be qualitative or quantitative in nature. For Mr. Postema, his 2018 AIP award also includes a 20 percent component tied to divisional goals. Although we believe that disclosure of these goals could cause competitive harm, our compensation committee has determined that achievement of these individual goals would require substantial and sustained performance by the NEOs.

2018 AIP Targets and Awards

The 2018 target and level of achievement relative to target for AIP awards earned appear in the table below. The targets for those awards are identified below. AIP bonuses were paid on March 15, 2019, and are shown in the Summary Compensation Table under the heading “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation.”

We continued to use a funding qualifier for the 2018 AIP. The compensation committee determined that it would be appropriate to first consider our overall financial results before making payments to individuals based on achievement of the specific performance goals set forth above. The funding qualifier is a corporate performance threshold that is based on our net operating income, or “NOI.” NOI is the Company’s net income, excluding: (i) realized capital gains and losses; (ii) impairment losses; (iii) related federal income taxes; (iv) losses from discontinued operations; (v) debt prepayment penalties; (vi) extraordinary gains or losses; (vii) the cumulative effect of accounting changes or the effect of material changes in tax laws; (viii) acquisitions or divestitures; (ix) unusual or nonrecurring items; (x) asset write downs; (xi) litigation, claims, judgments, or settlements not related to core operations; (xii) expenses for reorganization or restructuring initiatives; (xiii) currency fluctuations; and (xiv) reserve strengthening or financing activities. Use of NOI as the measure for the funding qualifier gives appropriate consideration to the interests of both our shareholders and our NEOs.

The funding qualifier under our 2018 AIP was 75 percent of the Company’s forecasted NOI for 2018. In order for an AIP payout to occur, 2018 NOI had to exceed $157 million. Our 2018 NOI totaled $291 million, thereby satisfying this requirement.

Long-Term Incentive Plan

The purpose of our LTIP is to enhance our growth and profitability, and that of the Exchange, by providing longer term rewards to executives who are capable of having a significant impact on performance. We accomplish this by providing eligible executives with incentives based on attainment of certain performance goals over three-year performance periods. Performance is measured and compared to an industry peer group selected by the compensation committee. Awards are granted in phantom stock and paid out in cash.

LTIP Peer Group

The compensation committee believes the peer group below is representative of our competition as it comprises a large share of the industry’s property and casualty insurance premiums. The peer group is composed of the same companies that were approved for the 2017-2019 LTIP performance period and represents approximately 42 percent of the industry’s total DWP as of December 31, 2017.

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2018-2020 LTIP Peer Group

LTIP Targets

The tables below show: (i) LTIP targets expressed as a percentage of base salary; and (ii) the performance measures selected to promote long-term sustainability and competitive positioning, and their respective weightings for the 2018- 2020 performance period.

The target number of shares for each participant was calculated by dividing the target equity incentive plan award by $117.88, the average closing share price of our Class A common stock for the first 20 business days of the performance period. Opportunities under the LTIP range from 0 to 250 percent of target.

LTIP Performance Measures & Weightings

Given the nature of our business, underwriting profitability and return on investments are important to long-term financial strength. The Property and Casualty Group’s direct written premium growth is also important to our financial results as it is the primary driver of the management fee revenue we earn from the Exchange.

The 2016-2018 performance period is closed. The payout, pending approval from our compensation committee, will be made later in 2019 since computations require peer group data that is not yet available. To date, for this performance period, we have information on eleven of the twelve measurement quarters and expect the payout to be approximately 145 percent of target.

2019 Information Statement    23

Retirement Benefits and Perquisites

We believe retirement benefits are an important part of a competitive reward opportunity that enables us to attract and retain talented leaders. We also offer our executives a limited number of perquisites.

Policy on Recoupment of Officer Bonuses

In 2009, our board of directors approved a “clawback” policy that applies to AIP and LTIP payouts. To the extent permitted by law, our policy requires the reimbursement of all or a portion of any performance-based annual or long-term bonus paid to any officer after June 30, 2009 where (a) the payment was predicated upon the achievement of certain financial results that were subsequently the subject of a restatement, and (b) a lower payment would have been made to the officer based upon the restated financial results. In each such instance the Company will, to the extent practicable, seek to recover the amount by which the officer’s bonus for the relevant period exceeded the lower payment that would have been made based on the restated financial results. We will not seek to recover bonuses paid more than two years prior to the date on which our board of directors was made aware of the need to restate our financial statements. We will continue to monitor regulatory requirements and adjust our policy as necessary.

The policy also states that, to the extent permitted by law, officers are required to reimburse us for any performance- based annual or long-term bonus we paid to such officer after June 30, 2009 where the officer’s employment with the Company was terminated for cause either prior to the payment of the bonus or within six months thereafter.

Policy for Minimum Stock Ownership Levels

Our Policy for Minimum Stock Ownership Levels is designed to promote greater alignment with the interests of our shareholders through ownership of Company stock and to achieve a stronger correlation to market-prevalent stock ownership practices of public companies. Under these guidelines, our executive and senior officers are

24    Erie Indemnity Company

expected, over time, to acquire and hold Erie Indemnity Company stock equal to a specific multiple of base salary. Owned shares, shares held in our 401(k) savings plan, shares issued under the LTIP and share credits issued under the Incentive Compensation Deferral Plan are counted toward satisfying the ownership guidelines.

An officer who was covered by this policy, a “covered officer,” on January 1, 2016 must reach his or her minimum ownership level by December 31, 2020. An individual who becomes a covered officer after January 1, 2016 must achieve his or her minimum ownership level by the fifth anniversary of becoming a covered officer. If a covered officer is appointed to a position with a higher minimum ownership requirement, the difference between the two levels must be achieved by the fifth anniversary of the new appointment. The original timeframe shall continue to apply to the prior ownership requirement.

The following table shows the required stock ownership levels and the share ownership of our NEOs as of December 31, 2018:

Tax Implications of Executive Compensation

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “TCJA”) made several changes to Section 162(m) of the Code, which limits the annual deductibility of compensation paid to certain executives to $1 million. Prior to the TCJA, Section 162(m) included an exclusion from the $1 million cap for qualified performance-based compensation. As a result, for tax years beginning January 1, 2018 and later, performance-based compensation is now included in the $1 million limit. The executives whose compensation is subject to the limit include the CEO, CFO and the three highest-paid officers who are not the CEO or CFO. Our compensation committee will continue to monitor guidance from the IRS to balance the benefits of deductibility with the goals of our executive compensation program.

Agreements with Executive Officers

We have no employment agreements with any NEOs. For termination scenarios relating to our NEOs, see Executive Compensation — Potential Termination or Change in Control Payments.

2019 Information Statement    25

Executive Compensation

The following table sets forth the 2018, 2017 and 2016 compensation of our NEOs. Compensation disclosed herein is for services rendered in all capacities to us, EFL, the Exchange and their subsidiaries and affiliates. Compensation is allocated among us, the Exchange, EFL and their subsidiaries and affiliates according to an estimated proportion of the executives’ time dedicated to the affairs of the various entities. Our share of total compensation expense for the NEOs was 54% in 2018 and 2017, and 57% in 2016. Amounts indicated are pre-individual income taxes.

Summary Compensation Table

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Stock Awards: Long-Term Incentive Plan

Our LTIP allows awards of phantom stock and payment of outstanding awards to be made in either cash or stock. The LTIP plan document includes a list of performance measures that may be used to establish performance goals. Awards for the 2018-2020, 2017-2019 and 2016-2018 performance periods are payable in cash. The amounts shown in the Summary Compensation Table for 2018, 2017 and 2016 reflect the grant date fair value of these awards as further described below. Amounts for each performance period will not be earned until December 31 of the third year and may be more or less than the value shown based upon the level of achievement of the performance goals.

For 2018, 2017 and 2016, the grant value of each executive’s target LTIP award (calculated as a percentage of their base salary) was established by our compensation committee. The number of phantom shares awarded in 2018, 2017 and 2016 was calculated by dividing the target LTIP award by $117.88, $111.95 and $93.06, respectively, the average share price for the first 20 business days of each performance period.

Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation

The “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” column includes the AIP payouts during each year.

Change in Pension Value and Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Earnings

The Summary Compensation Table above includes the net change in the present value of accrued benefits from December 31, 2017 to December 31, 2018 under our pension plan, a tax-qualified defined benefit pension plan, and our SERP, a non-qualified defined benefit arrangement. The present value information presented utilizes assumptions consistent with those used for fiscal year 2018 disclosure under Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification 715, “Compensation — Retirement Plans.” Discount rates used for December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 were 4.47%, 3.73% and 4.24%, respectively (3.97% post-retirement discount rate for 2018, 3.23% for 2017 and 3.74% for 2016).

There are no above-market or preferential non-qualified deferred compensation earnings to disclose in this column. See Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation for a description of the investment funds and earnings.

All Other Compensation

The following table provides details of the amounts presented in the “All Other Compensation” column of the Summary Compensation Table.

Supplemental Table for All Other Compensation

2019 Information Statement    27

Grants of Plan-Based Awards

The following table summarizes awards that were granted during 2018 under our AIP and LTIP.

Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table for 2018

An executive’s target award is established by our compensation committee. The target number of performance shares, performance units and/or phantom stock for each executive is based on a competitive total direct compensation target opportunity and an agreed-upon target pay mix. When our compensation committee approves target awards, it also approves the performance measures, performance goals and the calibration of shares and/or cash awarded at performance levels above and below target. Our compensation committee has the discretion to reduce awards to any individual participant in the incentive plans, and we have a policy for recoupment of officer bonuses. See Compensation Discussion and Analysis.

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Under our LTIP, the actual shares or cash paid to an executive at the end of a performance period may be more or less than the executive’s target, but not more than the maximum for that performance period. See also Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data — Note 10, Incentive and Deferred Compensation Plans, of Notes to Financial Statements” in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February  21, 2019.

Outstanding Equity Awards

The following table shows outstanding equity awards at December 31, 2018.

Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2018