Employee Benefit Plans | Note 10 Defined Benefit Plan The Company has a noncontributory defined-benefit pension plan (the “Plan”), which covers most of its employees. Effective December 31, 2016, the Plan was closed to all new participants. The Company accrues and makes contributions designed to fund normal service costs on a current basis using the projected unit credit with service proration method to amortize prior service costs arising from improvements in pension benefits and qualifying service prior to the establishment of the Plan over a period of approximately 30 years. A summary of the activity in the Plan’s projected benefit obligation, assets, funded status and amounts recognized in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets is as follows: (In thousands) 2018 2017 Projected benefit obligation: Balance, January 1 $ 98,790 $ 85,551 Service cost 4,017 3,733 Interest cost 3,703 3,621 Actuarial (gain) loss (7,768 ) 7,916 Benefits paid (2,341 ) (2,031 ) Balance, December 31 $ 96,401 $ 98,790 Plan assets: Fair value, January 1 $ 81,427 $ 73,168 Actual return (4,506 ) 10,290 Employer contribution Benefits paid (2,341 ) (2,031 ) Fair value, December 31 $ 74,580 $ 81,427 Funded status: Accrued pension liability $ (21,821 ) $ (17,363 ) The following represent the major assumptions used to determine the projected benefit obligation of the Plan. For 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Plan’s expected benefit cash flows were discounted using the Citibank Above Median Curve. For 2018, the RP-2014 Mortality Table and the MP-2018 Mortality Improvement Table were used. For 2017, the RP-2014 Mortality Table and MP-2017 Mortality Improvement Table were used. For 2016, the RP-2014 Mortality Table and MP-2016 Mortality Improvement Table were used. 2018 2017 2016 Weighted average discount rate 4.30 % 3.75 % 4.25 % Rate of increase in compensation levels (a) (a) (a) (a) 6.0% graded down to 3.25% over the first seven years of service. The accumulated benefit obligation was $83,724,000 and $85,236,000 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company does not expect to make a contribution to the Plan in 2019. The following pension benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid by the Plan: Amount 2019 $ 2,893,000 2020 3,099,000 2021 3,363,000 2022 3,769,000 2023 4,196,000 2024-2028 25,643,000 The Plan’s pension cost included the following components: For the Year Ended December 31, (In thousands) 2018 2017 2016 Service cost – benefits earned during the year $ 4,017 $ 3,733 $ 3,559 Interest cost on projected benefit obligations 3,703 3,621 3,505 Expected return on plan assets (5,202 ) (4,681 ) (4,734 ) Net amortization and deferral 1,522 1,382 1,259 Net periodic pension cost $ 4,040 $ 4,055 $ 3,589 The following represent the major assumptions used to determine the net pension cost of the Plan: 2018 2017 2016 Weighted average discount rate 3.75 % 4.25 % 4.50 % Rate of increase in compensation levels (a ) (a ) (a ) Expected long-term rate of return on assets 6.50 % 6.50 % 6.75 % (a) 6.0% graded down to 3.25% over the first seven years of service For 2018, the RP-2014 Mortality Table and the MP-2017 Mortality Improvement Table were used. For 2017, the RP-2014 Mortality Table and the MP-2016 Mortality Improvement Table were used. For 2016, the RP-2014 Mortality Table and the MP-2015 Mortality Improvement Table were used. The investment objective for the Plan is to maximize total return with a tolerance for average risk. Asset allocation is a balance between fixed income and equity investments, with a target allocation of approximately 51% fixed income, 19% U.S. equity and 30% non-U.S. equity. Due to volatility in the market, this target allocation is not always desirable and asset allocations can fluctuate between acceptable ranges. The fixed income component is invested in pooled investment grade securities. The equity components are invested in pooled large cap, small/mid cap and non-U.S. stocks. The expected one-year nominal returns and annual standard deviations are shown by asset class below: One-Year Nominal Annual Standard Asset Class % of Total Portfolio Return Deviation Core Fixed Income 51 % 4.44 % 3.90 % Large Cap U.S. Equities 14 % 7.02 % 15.10 % Small Cap U.S. Equities 5 % 8.04 % 18.75 % International (Developed) 25 % 8.19 % 17.36 % International (Emerging) 5 % % % Applying appropriate correlation factors between each of the asset classes the long-term rate of return on assets is estimated to be 6.50%. A summary of the fair value measurements by type of asset is as follows: Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2018 2017 Quoted Prices Quoted Prices in Active in Active Markets for Significant Markets for Significant Identical Observable Identical Observable Assets Inputs Assets Inputs (In thousands) Total (Level 1) (Level 2) Total (Level 1) (Level 2) Cash $ 423 $ 423 $ — $ 374 $ 374 $ — Equity securities U.S. Small/Mid Cap Growth 3,405 — 3,405 4,111 — 4,111 Non-U. S. Core 18,398 — 18,398 21,065 — 21,065 U.S. Large Cap Passive 10,471 — 10,471 11,717 — 11,717 Emerging Markets 3,217 — 3,217 4,052 — 4,052 Fixed Income U.S. Core 10,609 — 10,609 11,284 — 11,284 U.S. Passive 23,827 — 23,827 24,345 — 24,345 Opportunistic 4,230 — 4,230 4,479 — 4,479 Total $ 74,580 $ 423 $ 74,157 $ 81,427 $ 374 $ 81,053 Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan The Company also has an unfunded supplemental executive retirement plan (“SERP”) which covers key executives of the Company whose benefits are limited by the Internal Revenue Service under the Company’s qualified retirement plan. The SERP is a noncontributory plan in which the Company’s subsidiaries make accruals designed to fund normal service costs on a current basis using the same method and criteria as the Plan. A summary of the activity in the SERP’s projected benefit obligation, funded status and amounts recognized in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets is as follows: December 31, (In thousands) 2018 2017 Benefit obligation: Balance, January 1 $ 10,094 $ 9,132 Service cost 92 143 Interest cost 348 360 Benefits paid (260 ) (247 ) Actuarial (gain) loss (177 ) 706 Balance, December 31 $ 10,097 $ 10,094 The following represent the major assumptions used to determine the projected benefit obligation of the SERP. For 2018, 2017 and 2016, the SERP’s expected benefit cash flows were discounted using the Citigroup Above Median Curve. 2018 2017 2016 Weighted average discount rate 4.10 % 3.50 % 4.00 % Rate of increase in compensation levels (a) (a) (a) (a) 6.00% graded down to 3.25% over the first seven years of service. The accumulated benefit obligation was $8,830,000 and $8,734,000 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Since this is an unfunded plan, there are no plan assets. Benefits paid were $260,000 in 2018, and $247,000 in both 2017 and 2016. Expected future benefits payable by the Company over the next ten years are as follows: Amount 2019 $ 313,000 2020 312,000 2021 372,000 2022 749,000 2023 817,000 2024-2028 4,014,000 The SERP’s pension cost included the following components: For the Year Ended December 31, (In thousands) 2018 2017 2016 Service cost – benefits earned during the year $ 92 $ 143 $ 133 Interest cost on projected benefit obligations 348 360 367 Net amortization and deferral 581 324 295 Net periodic pension cost $ 1,021 $ 827 $ 795 The pretax amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss as of December 31 were as follows: The Plan SERP (In thousands) 2018 2017 2018 2017 Prior service cost $ — $ — $ — $ — Net actuarial loss 23,580 23,160 1,629 2,388 Total $ 23,580 $ 23,160 $ 1,629 $ 2,388 The estimated pretax prior service cost and net actuarial loss in accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2018 expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost in 2019 for the Plan are $0 and $1,634,000, respectively. The estimated pretax prior service cost and net actuarial loss in accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2018 expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost in 2019 for the SERP are $0 and $277,000, respectively. The Company also maintains a noncontributory profit sharing program, which covers most of its employees. Employer contributions are calculated based upon formulas which relate to current operating results and other factors. Profit sharing expense recognized in the consolidated statements of income in 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $6,810,000, $5,799,000, and $5,367,000, respectively. The Company also sponsors a defined contribution 401(k) plan to provide additional retirement benefits to substantially all employees. Contributions under the 401(k) plan for 2018, 2017 and 2016 were $1,109,000, $925,000, and $658,000, respectively. |