Payments of Benefits and Withdrawals
If a participant’s employment ceases as a result of normal retirement, death or disability, the participant (or the participant’s beneficiaries) is entitled to receive the entire balance of the participant’s account. If a participant terminates for any other reason, the participant is entitled to receive only the vested portion of their account. Participants can receive Plan benefits in either a single lump sum or in periodic payments as determined by the type of termination.
In-service distributions may be made from any of the participant’s vested accounts as long as the age requirement of 59½ years is met. Participants who do not meet the age requirement for an in-service withdrawal may request a hardship withdrawal at any time. Events that qualify for a hardship withdrawal are as follows: to cover necessary medical care, for costs directly related to the purchase of the participant’s primary residence, for expenses related to post-secondary education, for payments necessary to prevent the participant’s eviction from or foreclosure of the primary residence, funeral expenses, or a natural disaster. If a participant takes a hardship withdrawal, all contributions to the Plan will be suspended for six months.
Forfeitures
Forfeitures of terminated participants’ non-vested accounts arising from Company matching can be used to pay administrative expenses under the Plan or to reduce future Company contributions. At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the balance in the forfeiture account was $9,726 and $36,482, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company applied $154,097 of forfeitures to pay plan administrative fees.
Plan Termination
The Company has the right to suspend, modify or terminate the Plan at any time. The Company has not expressed any intent to terminate the Plan. If the Plan were to be terminated, the termination would be subject to provisions set forth by ERISA, with the net assets of the Plan allocated among the participants and the beneficiaries of the Plan in the allocation order specified by ERISA. In the event of Plan termination, participants would become 100% vested in their employer contributions and earnings thereon.
2. | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
Basis of Presentation
The financial statements of the Plan are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”).
Investment Management and Administration
The assets of each fund within the Plan are invested under an arrangement with Wells as trustee. Investment management fees are charged to the Plan as a reduction of investment return and included in the investment income reported by the Plan.
Costs of administering the Plan may be paid by the Plan or by the Company. Administrative costs include fees paid to the Plan’s trustee, third-party administrators, accountants and attorneys. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Plan incurred administrative expenses of $386,113.
Investment Options
The Plan provides a variety of investment options with differing risk and growth characteristics. Participants may change their investment allocation and/or transfer their account balances among the various funds at any time.
Participants may elect to invest in shares of the Company’s common stock. Participants purchased 27,545 shares of Salem Media Group, Inc. common stock during the year ending December 31, 2018.
Contributions
Contributions from the Company are accrued in the period when earned.
Payment of Benefits
Benefit payments to participants are recorded upon issuance of disbursement.
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