Pension and Profit Sharing | 6. Pension and Profit Sharing United States employees, hired prior to July 1, 1993, are covered by a funded, defined benefit pension plan. The benefits of this pension plan are based on years of service and the average compensation of the highest three consecutive years during the last ten years of employment. In December 1995, the Company's Board of Directors approved an amendment to the United States pension plan that terminated all future benefit accruals as of February 1, 1996, without terminating the pension plan. In accordance with the adoption of ASU 2017-07, Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost The Company’s funding policy with respect to its qualified plan is to contribute at least the minimum amount required by applicable laws and regulations. In 2018, the Company contributed $25,107 to the plan. The plan asset weighted average allocation at December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, by asset category, were as follows: Asset Category: 2018 2017 Equity Securities 65 % 67 % Fixed Income Securities 33 % 32 % Other Securities / Investments 2 % 1 % Total: 100 % 100 % The Company’s investment policy for the pension plan is to minimize risk by balancing investments between equity securities and fixed income securities. Plan funds are invested in long-term obligations with a history of moderate to low risk. The pension plan asset information included below is presented at fair value. ASC 820 establishes a framework for measuring fair value and requires disclosures about assets and liabilities measured at fair value. The fair value hierarchy prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three levels as follows: · Level 1 – Inputs to the valuation methodology based on unadjusted quoted market prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date. · Level 2 – Inputs to the valuation methodology that include quoted market prices that are not considered to be active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly. · Level 3 – Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement. The following tables present the pension plan assets by level within the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2018 and 2017: 2018 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Money Market Fund $ 4 $ 17,320 $ — $ 17,324 Equity Common and Collected Funds 99,616 564,341 — 663,957 Fixed Income Common and Collected Funds 83,211 249,309 — 332,520 Total: $ 182,831 $ 830,970 $ — $ 1,013,801 2017 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Money Market Fund $ — $ 10,774 $ — $ 10,774 Equity Common and Collected Funds 125,451 711,143 — 836,594 Fixed Income Common and Collected Funds 100,430 302,001 — 402,431 Total: $ 225,881 $ 1,023,918 $ — $ 1,249,799 Other disclosures related to the pension plan follow: 2018 2017 Assumptions used to determine benefit obligation: Discount rate 3.87 % 3.14 % Changes in benefit obligation: Benefit obligation at beginning of year $ (1,362,867 ) $ (1,499,798 ) Interest cost (39,851 ) (48,161 ) Service cost (33,000 ) (36,000 ) Actuarial gain (loss) 71,338 (20,289 ) Benefits and plan expenses paid 203,450 241,381 Benefit obligation at end of year: $ (1,160,930 ) $ (1,362,867 ) Changes in plan assets: Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 1,249,825 $ 1,294,727 Actual return on plan assets (57,651 ) 196,479 Employer contribution 25,107 — Benefits and plan expenses paid (203,450 ) (241,381 ) Fair value of plan assets at end of year 1,013,831 1,249,825 Funded status: $ (147,099 ) $ (113,042 ) Amounts recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income: Net actuarial loss $ 880,370 $ 913,870 Prior service cost 1,082 1,625 Total: $ 881,452 $ 915,495 Accrued benefits costs are included in other accrued liabilities (non-current). 2018 2017 Assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost: Discount rate 3.14 % 3.40 % Expected return on plan assets 6.00 % 6.00 % Components of net benefit expense: Interest cost $ 39,851 $ 48,161 Service cost 33,000 36,000 Expected return on plan assets (67,547 ) (69,465 ) Amortization of prior service costs 543 543 Amortization of actuarial loss 87,360 108,052 Net periodic benefit cost: $ 93,207 $ 123,291 The Company employs a building block approach in determining the long-term rate of return for plan assets. Historical markets are studied and long-term historical relationships between equity securities and fixed income securities are preserved consistent with the widely-accepted capital market principle that assets with higher volatility generate higher returns over the long run. Our expected 6% long-term rate of return on plan assets is determined based on long-term historical performance of plan assets, current asset allocation and projected long-term rates of return. The following table discloses the change recorded in other comprehensive income related to benefit costs: 2018 2017 Balance at beginning of the year $ 915,495 $ 1,130,815 Change in net loss 53,860 (106,725 ) Amortization of actuarial loss (87,360 ) (108,052 ) Amortization of prior service cost (543 ) (543 ) Change recognized in other comprehensive income (34,043 ) (215,320 ) Total recognized in other comprehensive income $ 881,452 $ 915,495 The Company anticipates that in 2019, net periodic benefit cost will include approximately $87,000 of net actuarial loss and $543 of prior service cost. The following benefits are expected to be paid: 2019 $ 168,000 2020 152,000 2021 136,000 2022 122,000 2023 108,000 Years 2024 - 2028 387,000 The Company also has a qualified, profit sharing plan covering substantially all of its United States employees. Annual Company contributions to this profit sharing plan are determined by the Company’s Compensation Committee. For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company contributed 50% of employee’s contributions, up to the first 6% contributed by each employee. Total contribution expense under this profit sharing plan was $271,541 in 2018 and $236,993 in 2017. |