RETIREMENT PLANS

The Company has a defined benefit plan that covers many of its employees, or the Benefit Plan. The benefits are based on years of service and the employee’s five-year final average salary. Contributions are intended to provide for benefits attributable to service both to-date and expected-to-be provided in the future. The Company funds the Benefit Plan in accordance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Pension Protection Act. In April 2017, the Company froze the Benefit Plan as it relates to future benefit accruals for participants. The Benefit Plan was closed to new participants in February 2007. The Company expects to contribute $160,000 to the Benefit Plan during 2018.

Benefit Plan assets consist of equity, debt and short-term money market investment funds. The Benefit Plan’s current investment policy targets 65% equities, 25% debt and 10% money market funds. Equity and debt investment percentages are generally allowed to fluctuate plus or minus 20% to take advantage of market conditions. As an example, equities could fluctuate from 78% to 52% of plan assets. At March 31, 2018, the investment mix was approximately 58% equity, 38% debt, and 4% money market funds. At December 31, 2017, the investment mix was approximately 57% equity, 37% debt, and 6% money market funds. Equity investments consist of a combination of individual equity securities plus value funds, growth funds, large cap funds and international stock funds. Debt investments consist of U.S. Treasury securities and investment grade corporate debt. The weighted average discount rates used in determining periodic pension cost were 3.7% and 3.9% in 2018 and 2017, respectively. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is 7.5% in 2018 and 2017. The long-term rate of return on Benefit Plan assets is based on the historical returns within the plan and expectations for future returns.

The expected total pension and retirement expense for the Benefit Plan was as follows:



	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in thousands)	2018			2017
Cost components:
Service cost-benefits earned during the period	$	—		$	(61	)
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	(91		)	(104		)
Expected return on plan assets	146			129
Net amortization and deferral	(16		)	(50		)
Total net periodic pension cost	$	39		$	(86	)

The Company has a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, or SERP, to restore to executives designated by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors the full benefits under the pension plan that would otherwise be restricted by certain limitations now imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. The SERP is currently unfunded. The Company in April 2017, froze the SERP plan as it relates to the accrual of additional benefits. The pension and retirement expense for the SERP was as follows:



	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in thousands)	2018			2017
Cost components:
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	$	(64	)	$	(76	)
Net amortization and deferral	(16		)	(93		)
Total net periodic pension cost	$	(80	)	$	(169	)