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, a Rose Hills^® Supplemental Retirement Plan, and a Stewart Supplemental Retirement Plan (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.

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.

We recognize pension related gains and losses in our Consolidated Statement of Operations in the year such gains and losses are incurred. The components of the Plans’ net periodic benefit cost for the years ended December 31 were as follows:



	2017		2016		2015
	(In thousands)
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	$	1,067	$	1,179	$	1,198
Recognized net actuarial losses (gains)	879		259		(1,327		)
Total net periodic benefit cost	$	1,946	$	1,438	$	(129	)

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



	2017			2016
	(In thousands)
Change in Benefit Obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	30,078		$	32,305
Interest cost	1,067			1,179
Actuarial gain	879			259
Benefits paid	(3,343		)	(3,665		)
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	28,681		$	30,078
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	—		$	—
Employer contributions	3,343			3,665
Benefits paid, including expenses	(3,343		)	(3,665		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	—		$	—
Funded status of plan	$	(28,681	)	$	(30,078	)

Funding Summary:
Projected benefit obligations	$	28,681		$	30,078
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	28,681		$	30,078
Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheet:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	$	(3,265	)	$	(3,448	)
Accrued benefit costs - included in Other liabilities	(25,416		)	(26,630		)
Total accrued benefit liability	$	(28,681	)	$	(30,078	)

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 these policies to assist in meeting, at least to the extent of such assets, the Plans' funding requirements. The face value of these insurance policies at December 31, 2017 and 2016 was $46.5 million and $47.5 million, respectively, and the cash surrender value was $36.4 million and $37.0 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:



	2017		2016		2015
Weighted-average discount rate used to determine obligations	3.41	%	3.76	%	3.86	%
Weighted-average discount rate used to determine net periodic pension cost	3.86	%	3.96	%	2.47	%

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.

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



2018	$	3,265
2019	3,192
2020	2,760
2021	2,447
2022	2,369
Years 2023 through 2027	9,379
Total expected benefit payments	$	23,412

We also 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 2017, 2016, and 2015, 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 2017, 2016, and 2015 was $33.2 million, $32.5 million, and $30.8 million, respectively.