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Employee Benefit Plans:
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Employee Benefit Plans:  
Employee Benefit Plans:

22. Employee Benefit Plans:

  • Profit Sharing Plan:

        The Company has a retirement profit sharing plan that covers substantially all of its eligible employees. The plan is qualified in accordance with section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. Effective January 1, 1995, this plan was modified to include a 401(k) plan whereby employees can elect to defer compensation subject to Internal Revenue Service withholding rules. This plan was further amended effective February 1, 1999 to add The Macerich Company Common Stock Fund as a new investment alternative under the plan. A total of 150,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance under the plan. Contributions by the Company to the plan were made at the discretion of the Board of Directors and were based upon a specified percentage of employee compensation. On January 1, 2004, the plan adopted the "Safe Harbor" provision under Sections 401(k)(12) and 401(m)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code. In accordance with these newly adopted provisions, the Company began matching contributions equal to 100 percent of the first three percent of compensation deferred by a participant and 50 percent of the next two percent of compensation deferred by a participant. During the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, these matching contributions made by the Company were $3,077, $3,502 and $3,189, respectively. Contributions are recognized as compensation in the period they are made.

  • Deferred Compensation Plans:

        The Company has established deferred compensation plans under which key executives of the Company may elect to defer receiving a portion of their cash compensation otherwise payable in one calendar year until a later year. The Company may, as determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion prior to the beginning of the plan year, credit a participant's account with a matching amount equal to a percentage of the participant's deferral. The Company contributed $570, $586 and $698 to the plans during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Contributions are recognized as compensation in the periods they are made.