Retirement Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

Retirement Plans

We currently have a supplemental retirement plan for certain current and former key employees (SERP), a supplemental retirement plan for officers and certain key employees (Senior SERP), a retirement plan for certain non-employee directors (Directors’ Plan), a Retirement Plan for Rose Hills Trustees, and a Rose Hills Supplemental Retirement Plan (Rose Hills SERP) (collectively, the “Plans”). We also provide a 401(k) employee savings plan. All of our Plans have a measurement date of December 31.

The Plans are frozen; therefore, the participants do not earn incremental benefits from additional years of service, and we do not incur any additional service cost since December 31, 2000.

Retirement benefits under the SERP are based on years of service and average monthly compensation, reduced by benefits under Social Security. The Senior SERP provides retirement benefits based on years of service and position. The Directors’ Plan provides for an annual benefit to directors following retirement, based on a vesting schedule.

The components of the Plans’ net periodic benefit cost for the years ended December 31 were as follows:

	2012		2011			2010
	(In thousands)
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	$	1,109	$	1,306		$	1,498
Actual return on plan assets	—		—			—
Recognized net actuarial (gains) losses	1,418		(289		)	534
	$	2,527	$	1,017		$	2,032

The Plans’ funded status at December 31 was as follows:

	2012			2011
	(In thousands)
Change in Benefit Obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	29,214		$	31,377
Interest cost	1,109			1,306
Actuarial loss	1,806			49
Benefits paid	(3,455		)	(3,518		)
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	28,674		$	29,214
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	—		$	—
Employer contributions	3,455			3,518
Benefits paid, including expenses	(3,455		)	(3,518		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	—		$	—
Funded status of plan	$	(28,674	)	$	(29,214	)
Net amount recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheet	$	(28,674	)	$	(29,214	)
Funding Summary:
Projected benefit obligations	$	28,674		$	29,214
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	28,674		$	29,214
Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheet:
Accrued benefit liability	$	(28,674	)	$	(29,214	)

The retirement benefits under the Plans are unfunded obligations of the Company. We have purchased various life insurance policies on the participants in the Plans with the intent to use the proceeds or any cash value buildup from such policies to assist in meeting, at least to the extent of such assets, the Plan’s funding requirements. The face value of these insurance policies at December 31, 2012 and 2011 was $49.8 million and $51.1 million, respectively, and the cash surrender value was $37.2 million and $37.5 million, respectively. The outstanding loans against the policies are minimal and there are no restrictions in the policies regarding loans.

The Plans’ weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation and net benefit cost are as follows: we base our discount rate used to compute future benefit obligations using an analysis of expected future benefit payments. The reasonableness of our discount rate is verified by comparing the rate to the rate earned on high-quality fixed income investments, such as the Moody’s Aa index, plus 50 basis points. The assumed rate of return on plan assets was not applicable as we pay plan benefits as they come due. As all Plans are curtailed, the assumed rate of compensation increase is zero.

	2012		2011		2010
Weighted average discount rate used to determine obligations	2.90	%	4.05	%	4.45	%
Weighted average discount rate used to determine net periodic pension cost	4.05	%	4.41	%	4.80	%

The following benefit payments are expected to be paid in future years related to our Plans:

2013	$	3,537
2014	3,613
2015	2,995
2016	2,777
2017	2,479
Years 2018 through 2022	9,443

We have an employee savings plan that qualifies under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code for the exclusive benefit of our United States employees. Under the plan, participating employees may contribute a portion of their pretax and/or after-tax income in accordance with specified guidelines up to a maximum of 50%.

During 2012, 2011, and 2010 we matched a percentage of the employee contributions through contributions of cash. For these years, our matching contribution was based upon the following:

Years of Vesting Service	Percentage of Deferred Compensation
0 — 5 years	75% of the first 6% of deferred compensation
6 — 10 years	100% of the first 6% of deferred compensation
11 or more years	125% of the first 6% of deferred compensation

The amount of our matched contributions in 2012, 2011, and 2010 was $23.1 million, $22.3 million, and $20.3 million, respectively.