. Pension Plans

We maintain three defined benefit pension plans: one for United Kingdom employees, one for German employees, and one for Philippine employees. We deposit funds for the United Kingdom and Philippine plans with financial institutions and make payments to former German employees directly. We accrue for the unfunded portion of obligations. As of March 31, 2016, the German defined benefit plan was completely unfunded and we accrued for its obligations. The measurement date for the projected benefit obligations and the plan assets is March 31. The United Kingdom and German plans have been curtailed. As such, the plans are closed to new entrants and no credit is provided for additional periods of service.

Net Period Pension Cost

The net periodic pension expense includes the following components (in thousands):

	Year Ended March 31,
	2016			2015			2014

Service cost	$	101		$	104		$	108
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		1,450			1,803			1,886
Expected return on plan assets		(1,721	)		(1,910	)		(1,685	)
Recognized actuarial loss		438			179			236
Net periodic pension expense	$	268		$	176		$	545

Net Amount Recognized (in thousands)
	Year Ended March 31,
	2016			2015
Change in projected benefit obligation
Projected benefit obligation at the beginning of the year	$	47,346		$	44,558
Service cost		101			104
Interest cost		1,450			1,803
Actuarial (gain) loss		(1,549	)		9,036
Benefits paid		(1,830	)		(1,467	)
Foreign currency adjustment		(497	)		(6,688	)
Projected benefit obligation at year end	$	45,021		$	47,346

Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at the beginning of the year	$	30,114		$	29,013
Actual return (loss) on plan assets		(156	)		4,306
Employer contribution		1,009			1,089
Benefits paid from assets		(1,388	)		(970	)
Foreign currency adjustment		(865	)		(3,324	)
Plan assets at fair value at year end	$	28,714		$	30,114
Unfunded status of the plan at year end	$	16,307		$	17,232

Pension liability recognized on the balance sheet due after one year	$	16,307		$	17,232

Plans with projected benefit obligation and accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets:
Projected benefit obligation at year end	$	45,021		$	47,346
Accumulated benefit obligation at year end	$	44,509		$	46,695
Plan assets at fair value at year end	$	28,714		$	30,114

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrecognized actuarial loss, before tax	$	(12,140	)	$	(12,354	)
Amount recognized as component of stockholders’ equity – pretax	$	(12,140	)	$	(12,354	)
Accumulated benefit obligation at year end	$	44,509		$	46,695

Weighted average actuarial assumptions used to determine benefit obligations for the plans were as follows:

	Year End March 31,
			2016			2015
Discount rate	1.9	-	4.6%	1.8	-	4.8%
Expected long term rate of return on assets	4.4	-	7.0%	5.6	-	7.0%
Salary scale		5.0%			6.0%

Information on Plan A

ssets

We report and measure the plan assets of our defined benefit pension plans at fair value. The table below sets forth the fair value of our plan assets as of March 31, 2016 and 2015, using the same three-level hierarchy of fair-value inputs described in Note 4, “Fair Value” (in thousands):

	March 31, 2016								March 31, 2015
Description	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
Cash and cash funds	$	121	$	-	$	-	$	121	$	2,588	$	-		$	-	$	2,588
Currency contracts		-		-		-		-		-		(30	)		-		(30	)
Equity		351		-		-		351		19,997		652			7		20,656
Fixed interest		1,225		96		-		1,321		861		5,887			1		6,749
Mutual Funds		13,527		13,394		-		26,921		-		-			-		-
Mortgage backed securities		-		-		-		-		-		16			-		16
Swaps and other		-		-		-		-		2		133			-		135
Total	$	15,224	$	13,490	$	-	$	28,714	$	23,448	$	6,658		$	8	$	30,114

During the quarter ended March 31, 2016, approximately $5.1 million of Level 2 fixed interest assets were transferred to level 1 as the prices used for those highly liquid government debt securities were sufficiently close to a binding quote price. We recognized the transfer at March 31, 2016.

The expected long term rate of return on assets is a weighted average of the returns expected for the underlying broad asset classes. The expected returns for each asset class are estimated in light of the market conditions on the accounting date and the past performance of the asset classes generally.

The amount of accumulated other comprehensive income expected to be recognized in net periodic pension cost in fiscal 2017 includes amortization of actuarial loss of $397,000. Approximately 72% of the accrued pension liability relates to the German plan and 26% to the United Kingdom plan. The accrued pension liability related to the Philippine plan is immaterial.

The investment policies and strategies for the United Kingdom plan assets are determined by the respective plan’s trustees in consultation with independent investment consultants and the employer. Our practice is to fund these plans in amounts at least sufficient to meet the minimum requirements of local laws and regulations. The trustees are aware that the nature of the liabilities of the plans will evolve as the age profile and life expectancy of the membership changes. These changing liability profiles lead to consultations about the appropriate balance of investment assets to be used by the plans (equity, debt, other), as well as timescales, within which required adjustments should be implemented. The plan assets in the United Kingdom are held in pooled investment funds operated by Fidelity Worldwide Investments. Our plan assets do not include direct holdings of our securities. The investment managers have discretion to vary the balance of investments of the scheme according to prevailing investment conditions and the trustees regularly monitor all investment decisions affecting the scheme and the overall investment performance. At March 31, 2016, approximately 50% of the assets of the United Kingdom fund were invested in diversified growth fund, which may invest in securities, collective investment schemes, money market instruments, cash and deposits, while 50% were in debt securities. The investments in debt securities are made in government instruments and investment grade corporate bonds. The target allocation of the United Kingdom plan assets that we control is 75% equity securities and 25% fixed income instruments. This objective has not been achieved due to the relative investment return of the two asset classes.

The German plan was held by a separate legal entity. As of March 31, 2016, the German defined benefit plan was completely unfunded.

For our Philippine plan, the local law requires us to appoint a trustee for the fund. We have appointed Bank of the Philippine Islands, or BPI, as the trustee of the plan. The plan assets are fully invested with BPI. The main role of the trustee is to manage the fund according to the mandate given by the retirement committee of our Philippine entity and to pay the covered/eligible employees in accordance with the plan. BPI Asset Management and Trust Group, an independent unit of BPI, provides investment management services to the trustee. At March 31, 2016, approximately 74% of the assets of the fund were invested in fixed income securities, 20% in equity securities and 6% in cash. The target allocation for the Philippine fund was 75% to fixed income securities, 20% to equities and 5% to cash and cash equivalents.

We expect to make contributions to the plans of approximately $1.1 million in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017. This contribution is primary contractual.

We expect to pay benefits in each of the next five fiscal years and in the aggregate for the five fiscal years thereafter of approximately the following (in thousands):

Fiscal Year Ended:	Benefit Payment
March 31, 2017	$	1,597
March 31, 2018		1,625
March 31, 2019		1,774
March 31, 2020		1,815
March 31, 2021		1,842
Five fiscal years ended March 31, 2026		10,069
Total benefit payments for the ten fiscal years ended March 31, 2026	$	18,722