1. DESCRIPTION OF PLAN (continued) participant contribution accounts. Vesting in Company matching contribution accounts is dependent upon specific criteria as described in the Plan document. Forfeitures of Company contributions by participants who withdrew from the Plan before vesting amounted to $12,894 and $26,833 during the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. The Plan uses forfeitures to pay certain administrative expenses and to reduce future Company contributions. All reasonable and necessary Plan administrative expenses are paid out of the Master Trust or paid by the Company. Generally, fees and expenses related to investment management of each investment option are paid out of the respective funds. As a result, the returns on those investments are net of the fees and expenses of the managers of those investment options and certain other brokerage commissions, fees and expenses incurred in connection with those investment options. 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Method of Accounting. The financial statements of the Plan are prepared under the accrual method of accounting in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts. Actual results may differ in some cases from the estimates. Investment Valuation. All investments of the Master Trust, except as noted below, are stated at fair value generally as determined by quoted closing market prices, if available. Investments in guaranteed investment contracts and synthetic guaranteed investment contracts, which are fully benefit responsive, are valued at contract value which approximates fair value. Money market investments are valued at cost which approximates fair value. Other investments for which no quoted market prices are available are valued at fair value as determined by the trustee based on the advice of its investment consultants. Participant loans are valued at cost which approximates fair value. 3. PARTICIPANT LOANS Participants are eligible to borrow from their account balances in the Plan. Loans are made in the form of cash and the amount may not exceed the lesser of 50 percent of the market value of the participant’s total vested accounts, or $50,000 less the participant’s highest loan balance outstanding during the preceding twelve months. Interest rates charged on unpaid balances are fixed for the duration of the loan. The interest rate charged is one percent plus the prime rate as reported by The Wall Street Journal, on the last business day of the calendar quarter immediately preceding the calendar quarter in which the participant applies for the loan. A processing fee of $35 is charged for each new loan. Repayment of loan principal and interest is generally made by payroll deductions and credited to the participant’s accounts. |