Defined Benefit Plan

We provide a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan covering substantially all of our Dutch employees ("Dutch Plan") who were hired prior to 2007 based on years of service and final pay or career average pay, depending on when the employee began participating. The benefits earned by the employees are immediately vested. We fund the future obligations of the Dutch Plan by purchasing insurance contracts from a large multi-national insurance company. The insurance contracts are purchased annually and re-new after five years at which time they are replaced with new contracts that are adjusted to include changes in the benefit obligation for the current year and redemption of the expired contracts. We make annual premium payments to the insurance company based on each employee's age and current salary, and the contractual growth rate. We determine the fair value of these plan assets with the assistance of an actuary using observable inputs (Level 2), which approximates the contract value of the investments.

The following table summarizes the change in the projected benefit obligation and the fair value of plan assets for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):



	2015			2014
Projected Benefit Obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	59,338		$	49,456
Service cost	1,787			1,445
Interest cost	1,192			1,756
Prior service cost (credit) arising during year	—			(1,024		)
Benefits paid	(982		)	(1,136		)
Administrative expenses	(169		)	(220		)
Actuarial (gain) loss, net	(4,416		)	16,667
Unrealized (gain) loss on foreign exchange	(5,991		)	(7,606		)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	$	50,759		$	59,338

Fair Value of Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	47,528		$	39,504
Increase (decrease) in plan asset value	(2,279		)	13,572
Employer contributions	1,829			1,897
Benefits paid	(982		)	(1,136		)
Administrative expenses	(169		)	(220		)
Unrealized gain (loss) on foreign exchange	(4,811		)	(6,089		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	41,116		$	47,528

Under-funded status of the plan at end of the year	$	(9,643	)	$	(11,810	)

Accumulated Benefit Obligation	$	43,969		$	50,837

The following actuarial assumptions were used to determine the actuarial present value of our projected benefit obligation at December 31, 2015 and 2014:



	2015	2014
Weighted average assumed discount rate	2.60%	2.20%
Weighted average rate of compensation increase	0% - 3%	0% - 3%

The discount rate used to determine our projected benefit obligation at December 31, 2015 was increased from 2.20% to 2.60%, consistent with a general increase in interest rates in Europe for AAA-rated long-term Euro government bonds.

Amounts recognized for the Dutch Plan in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 consist of (in thousands):



	2015			2014
Deferred tax asset	$	2,660		$	2,953
Other long-term liabilities	9,643			11,810
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(9,540		)	(10,812		)

The components of net periodic pension cost under this plan for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 included (in thousands):



	2015			2014			2013
Service cost	$	1,787		$	1,445		$	1,582
Interest cost	1,192			1,756			1,676
Expected return on plan assets	(986		)	(1,303		)	(1,291		)
Unrecognized pension asset, net	(96		)	(87		)	(87		)
Prior service cost	(85		)	7			159
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	727			540			468
Net periodic pension cost	$	2,539		$	2,358		$	2,507

This net periodic pension cost was calculated using the following assumptions:



	2015	2014
Weighted average assumed discount rate	2.60%	3.70%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	2.60%	3.30%
Weighted average rate of compensation increase	3.00%	3.00%

Plan assets at December 31, 2015 and 2014 consisted of insurance contracts with returns equal to the contractual rate, which are comparable with governmental debt securities. Our expected long-term rate of return assumptions are based on the weighted-average contractual rates for each contract. Dutch law dictates the minimum requirements for pension funding. Our goal is to meet these minimum funding requirements, while our insurance carrier invests to minimize risks associated with future benefit payments.

Our 2016 minimum funding requirements are expected to be approximately $1.8 million. Our estimate of future annual contributions is based on current funding requirements, and we believe these contributions will be sufficient to fund the plan.

Expected benefit payments to eligible participants under this plan for the next five years are as follows (in thousands):



2016	$	1,020
2017	$	1,148
2018	$	1,182
2019	$	1,201
2020	$	1,317
Succeeding five years	$	7,877

Defined Contribution Plans

We maintain defined contribution plans (the "Defined Contribution Plans") for the benefit of eligible employees in certain countries, including Canada, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. In accordance with the terms of each plan, we and our participating employees contribute up to specified limits, and under certain plans, we may make discretionary contributions in accordance with the terms of the Defined Contribution Plans. For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, we expensed approximately $6.9 million, $7.9 million and $7.1 million, respectively, for our contributions and our additional discretionary contributions to the Defined Contribution Plans.

Deferred Compensation Arrangements

We have entered into deferred compensation contracts for certain key employees. The benefits under these contracts are fully vested and benefits are paid when the participants attain 65 years of age. The charge to expense for these deferred compensation contracts in 2015, 2014 and 2013 was approximately $1.7 million, $1.9 million and $3.5 million, respectively. Life insurance policies with cash surrender values have been purchased for the purpose of funding the deferred compensation contracts.

We have adopted a non-qualified deferred compensation plan that allows certain highly compensated employees to defer a portion of their salary, commission and bonus, as well as the amount of any reductions in their deferrals under the deferred compensation plan for employees in the United States (the "Deferred Compensation Plan"), due to certain limitations imposed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Internal Revenue Code"). The Deferred Compensation Plan also provides for employer contributions to be made on behalf of participants equal in amount to certain forfeitures of, and/or reductions in, employer contributions that participants could have otherwise received under the Defined Contribution Plan for U.S. employees qualified under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(k) had there not been certain limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. Employer contributions to the Deferred Compensation Plan vest ratably over a period of five years. Contributions to the plan are invested in equity and other investment fund assets within life insurance policies, and carried on the balance sheet at fair value. A participant's plan benefits include the participant's deferrals, the vested portion of the employer's contributions, and deemed investment gains and losses on such amounts. The benefits under these contracts are fully vested and payment of benefits generally commences as of the last day of the month following the termination of services except that the payment of benefits for select executives generally commences on the first working day following a six month waiting period following the date of termination. Employer contributions to the Deferred Compensation Plan were $0.3 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Vesting in all employer contributions is accelerated upon the death of the participant or a change in control. Employer contributions under the plans are forfeited upon a participant's termination of employment to the extent they are not vested at that time.