The amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss, on a pre-tax basis, consist of the following, as of December 31:

The Company has a funded noncontributory defined benefit retirement plan covering substantially all of its salaried employees who were hired before September 1, 2005 (the “Retirement Plan”). The benefits are based on years of service and the employee’s compensation during the three consecutive years out of the final ten years of service, which was completed prior to September 30, 2006, the date the Retirement Plan was frozen, that produces the highest average. The Bank’s funding policy is to contribute annually the amount recommended by the Retirement Plan’s actuary. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Bank's Retirement Plan is invested 100% in fixed income funds. The Company did not make a contribution to the Retirement Plan during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019. The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for the Retirement Plan.

The following table sets forth, for the Retirement Plan, the change in benefit obligation and assets, and for the Company, the amounts recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at December 31:

Assumptions used to determine the Retirement Plan’s benefit obligations are as follows at December 31:

The mortality assumptions for 2021 were based on the Pri-2012 Total Dataset with Scale MP-2021 and the mortality assumptions for 2020 were based on the Pri-2012 Total Dataset with Scale MP-2020.

The components of the net pension (benefit) expense for the Retirement Plan are as follows for the years ended December 31:

Assumptions used to develop periodic pension cost for the Retirement Plan for the years ended December 31:

The following benefit payments are expected to be paid by the Retirement Plan for the years ending December 31:

The long-term rate of return on assets assumption was set based on historical returns earned by fixed income securities, adjusted to reflect expectations of future returns as applied to the plan’s target allocation of asset classes. Fixed income securities were assumed to earn real rates of return in the ranges of 3-5%. When these overall return expectations are applied to the plans target allocation, the result is an expected rate return of 4.75% for 2021.

The Retirement Plan’s weighted average asset allocations by asset category at December 31:

At December 31, 2021, Plan assets are invested in a diversified mix of fixed income funds.

The long-term investment objectives are to maintain plan assets at a level that will sufficiently cover long-term obligations and to generate a return on plan assets that will meet or exceed the rate at which long-term obligations will grow. At December 31, 2021, the plan's assets were 100% invested in fixed income securities. Adjustments to this mix are made periodically based on current capital market conditions and plan funding levels. Performance of the investment fund managers is monitored on an ongoing basis using modern portfolio risk analysis and appropriate index benchmarks.

The Company does not expect to make a contribution to the Retirement Plan in 2022.

The following table sets forth the Retirement Plan’s assets at the periods indicated:

a.	Comprised of fixed income securities with durations of longer than six years that seek to maximize total return consistent with the preservation of capital and prudent investment management.

b.	Comprised of corporate bonds with an average duration within 0.25 years of the benchmark and its average credit quality is no lower than BBB. The fund seeks to outperform the Bloomberg Barclays Long Corporate Bond Index.

c.	Comprised of money market instruments with an emphasis on safety and liquidity.

d.	Comprised of high quality corporate bonds diversified broadly across industries, issuers and regions. The funds primary benchmark is the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Credit Index.

The fair value of the mutual fund is determined daily using quoted market prices in an open market (level 1). The fair value of the pooled separate accounts is determined by the investment manager and is based on the value of the underlying assets held at December 31, 2021 and 2020. These are measured at net asset value under the practical expedient with future redemption dates.

The fair values of the Plan’s investments in pooled separate accounts are calculated each business day. All investments can be redeemed on a daily basis without restriction. The investments in pooled separate accounts, which are valued at net asset value, have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-07 “Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent)”.

Other Postretirement Benefit Plans:

The Company sponsors two unfunded postretirement benefit plans (the “Postretirement Plans”) that cover all retirees hired prior to January 1, 2011, who were full-time permanent employees with at least five years of service, and their spouses. Effective January 1, 2011, the Postretirement Plans are no longer available for new hires. One plan provides medical benefits through a 50% cost sharing arrangement. Effective January 1, 2000, the spouses of future retirees were required to pay 100% of the premiums for their coverage. The other plan provides life insurance benefits and is noncontributory. Effective January 1, 2010, life insurance benefits are not available for future retirees. Under these programs, eligible retirees receive lifetime medical and life insurance coverage for themselves and lifetime medical coverage for their spouses. The Company reserves the right to amend or terminate these plans at its discretion.

Comprehensive medical plan benefits equal the lesser of the normal plan benefit or the total amount not paid by Medicare. Life insurance benefits for retirees are based on annual compensation and age at retirement. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has not funded these plans. The Company used a December 31 measurement date for these plans.

The following table sets forth, for the Postretirement Plans, the change in benefit obligation and assets, and for the Company, the amounts recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at December 31:


	2021		2020

	(In thousands)
Change in benefit obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	10,799	$	8,762
Service cost		293		274
Interest cost		233		259
Actuarial (gain) loss		(370)		1,599
Benefits paid		(102)		(95)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year		10,853		10,799

Change in plan assets:
Market value of assets at beginning of year		—		—
Employer contributions		102		95
Benefits paid		(102)		(95)
Market value of plan assets at end of year		—		—

Accrued pension cost included in other liabilities	$	10,853	$	10,799

Assumptions used in determining the actuarial present value of the accumulated postretirement benefit obligations at December 31 are as follows:


	2021		2020
Discount rate	2.58	%	2.18	%
Rate of increase in health care costs
Initial	7.50	%	7.50	%
Ultimate (year 2026)	5.00	%	5.00	%
Annual rate of salary increase for life insurance	n/a		n/a

The mortality assumptions for 2021 were based on the Pri-2012 with Scale MP-2021 and the mortality assumptions for 2020 were based on the Pri-2012 with Scale MP-2020.

The resulting net periodic postretirement expense consisted of the following components for the years ended December 31:


	2021		2020		2019

	(In thousands)
Service cost	$	293	$	274	$	280
Interest cost		233		259		341
Amortization of unrecognized loss		30		—		—
Amortization of past service credit		(85)		(85)		(85)
Net postretirement benefit expense		471		448		536

Current year actuarial (gain) loss		(370)		1,599		(301)
Amortization of actuarial loss		(31)		—		—
Amortization of prior service credit		85		85		85
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		(316)		1,684		(216)
Total recognized in net postretirement expense and other comprehensive loss	$	155	$	2,132	$	320

Assumptions used to develop periodic postretirement expense for the Postretirement Plans for the years ended December 31:


	2021		2020		2019
Rate of return on plan assets	n/a		n/a		n/a
Discount rate	2.58	%	3.00	%	4.06	%
Rate of increase in health care costs
Initial	7.50	%	7.50	%	7.00	%
Ultimate (year 2026)	5.00	%	5.00	%	5.00	%
Annual rate of salary increase for life insurance	n/a		n/a		n/a

The following benefit payments under the Postretirement Plan, which reflect expected future service, are expected to be paid for the years ending December 31:


	Future Benefit
	Payments
	(In thousands)
2022	$	251
2023		261
2024		298
2025		323
2026		343
2027-2031		2,189

Defined Contribution Plans:

The Bank maintains a tax qualified 401(k) plan which covers substantially all salaried employees who have completed one year of service. Currently, annual matching contributions under the Bank’s 401(k) plan equal 50% of the employee’s contributions, up to a maximum of 3% of the employee’s base salary. In addition, the 401(k) plan includes the Defined Contribution Retirement Plan (“DCRP”), under which the Bank contributes an amount equal to 4% of an employee’s eligible compensation as defined in the plan, and the Profit Sharing Plan (“PSP”), under which at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors a contribution is made. Contributions for the DCRP and PSP are made in the form

of Company common stock at or after the end of each year. Annual contributions under these plans are subject to the limits imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions by the Company into the 401(k) plan vest 20% per year over the employee’s first five years of service. Contributions to these plans are 100% vested upon a change of control (as defined in the applicable plan). Compensation expense recorded by the Company for these plans amounted to $7.4 million, $3.7 million, and $3.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.

The Bank provides a non-qualified deferred compensation plan as an incentive for officers who have achieved the designated level and completed one year of service. In addition to the amounts deferred by the officers, the Bank matches 50% of their contributions, generally up to a maximum of 5% of the officers’ base salary. Matching contributions under this plan vest 20% per year for five years. The non-qualified deferred compensation plan assets are held in a rabbi trust totaling $18.2 million and $16.6 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Contributions become 100% vested upon a change of control (as defined in the plan). Compensation expense recorded by the Company for this plan amounted to $0.5 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019.

Employee Benefit Trust:

An Employee Benefit Trust (“EBT”) has been established to assist the Company in funding its benefit plan obligations. Dividend payments received are used to purchase additional shares of common stock. Shares released are used solely for funding matching contributions under the Bank’s 401(k) plan, contributions to the 401(k) plan for the DCRP, and contributions to the PSP. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, the Company funded $0.5 million, $2.6 million, and $3.4 million, respectively, of employer contributions to the 401(k), DCRP and profit sharing plans from the EBT.

Upon a change of control (as defined in the EBT), the EBT will terminate and any trust assets remaining after certain benefit plan contributions will be distributed to all full-time employees of the Company with at least one year of service, in proportion to their compensation over the four most recently completed calendar years plus the portion of the current year prior to the termination of the EBT.

As shares are released from the suspense account, the Company reports compensation expense equal to the current market price of the shares, and the shares become outstanding for earnings per share computations.

The EBT shares are as follows at December 31:


	2021		2020
Shares owned by Employee Benefit Trust, beginning balance		39,861		181,611
Shares purchased		1,039		3,697
Shares released and allocated		(22,936)		(145,447)
Shares owned by Employee Benefit Trust, ending balance		17,964		39,861

Market value of unallocated shares	$	436,525	$	663,287

Outside Director Retirement Plan:

The Bank has an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit Outside Director Retirement Plan (the “Directors’ Plan”), which provides benefits to each non-employee director who became a non-employee director before January 1, 2004. Upon termination an eligible director will be paid an annual retirement benefit equal to $48,000. Such benefit will be paid in equal monthly installments for 120 months. In the event of a termination of Board service due to a change of control, an eligible non-employee director will receive a cash lump sum payment equal to 120 months of benefit. In the event of the director’s death, the surviving spouse will receive the equivalent benefit. No benefits will be payable to a director who is removed for cause. The Holding Company has guaranteed the payment of benefits under the Directors’ Plan, for this reason the Bank has assets held in a rabbi trust totaling $1.9 million and $4.2 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Bank uses a December 31 measurement date for the Directors’ Plan.

The following table sets forth, for the Directors’ Plan, the change in benefit obligation and assets, and for the Company, the amounts recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at December 31:


	2021		2020

	(In thousands)
Change in benefit obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	2,276	$	2,290
Service cost		16		15
Interest cost		46		64
Actuarial (gain) loss		(184)		51
Benefits paid		(144)		(144)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year		2,010		2,276

Change in plan assets:
Market value of assets at beginning of year		—		—
Employer contributions		144		144
Benefits paid		(144)		(144)
Market value of plan assets at end of year		—		—

Accrued pension cost included in other liabilities	$	2,010	$	2,276

The components of the net pension expense for the Directors’ Plan are as follows for the years ended December 31:


	2021		2020		2019

	(In thousands)
Service cost	$	16	$	15	$	39
Interest cost		46		64		86
Amortization of unrecognized gain		(18)		(55)		(141)
Net pension expense (benefit)		44		24		(16)

Current actuarial (gain) loss		(184)		51		44
Amortization of actuarial gain		18		55		141
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		(166)		106		185
Total recognized in net pension expense and other comprehensive income	$	(122)	$	130	$	169

Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations and periodic pension expense for the Directors’ Plan for the years ended December 31:


	2021		2020		2019
Weighted average discount rate for the benefit obligation	2.58	%	2.18	%	3.00	%
Weighted average discount rate for periodic pension benefit expense	2.18	%	3.00	%	4.06	%
Rate of increase in future compensation levels	n/a		n/a		n/a

The following benefit payments under the Directors’ Plan, which reflect expected future service, are expected to be paid for the years ending December 31:


	Future Benefit
	Payments
	(In thousands)
2022	$	288
2023		256
2024		220
2025		192
2026		192
2027 - 2031		592