6. Deferred Compensation and Retirement Plans

The Company has several deferred compensation and retirement plans for eligible consultants and vice presidents that provide defined benefits to participants based on the deferral of current compensation or contributions made by the Company subject to vesting and retirement or termination provisions.

The total benefit obligations for these plans were as follows:


	Year Ended April 30,
	2015			2014
	(in thousands)
Deferred compensation plans	$	83,876		$	82,153
Pension plan		5,262			4,424
International retirement plans		2,847			3,727
Executive Capital Accumulation Plan		99,461			89,308

Total benefit obligations		191,446			179,612
Less: current portion of benefit obligation		(18,014	)		(10,377	)

Non-current benefit obligation	$	173,432		$	169,235

Deferred Compensation Plans

The Enhanced Wealth Accumulation Plan (“EWAP”) was established in fiscal 1994, which replaced the Wealth Accumulation Plan (“WAP”). Certain vice presidents elected to participate in a “deferral unit” that required the participant to contribute a portion of their compensation for an eight year period, or in some cases, make an after tax contribution, in return for defined benefit payments from the Company over a fifteen year period generally at retirement age of 65 or later. Participants were able to acquire additional “deferral units” every five years. Vice presidents who did not choose to roll over their WAP units into the EWAP continue to be covered under the earlier version in which participants generally vest and commence receipt of benefit payments at retirement age of 65. In June 2003, the Company amended the EWAP and WAP plans, so as not to allow new participants or the purchase of additional deferral units by existing participants.

The Company also maintains a Senior Executive Incentive Plan (“SEIP”) for participants approved by the Board. Generally, to be eligible, the vice president must be participating in the EWAP. Participation in the SEIP required the participant to contribute a portion of their compensation during a four-year period, or in some cases make an after tax contribution, in return for a defined benefit paid by the Company generally over a fifteen year period after ten years of participation in the plan or such later date as elected by the participant. In June 2003, the Company amended the SEIP plan, so as not to allow new participants or the purchase of additional deferral units by existing participants.

Pension Plan

The Company has a defined benefit pension plan, referred to as the Worldwide Executive Benefit (“WEB”), covering certain executives in the U.S. and foreign countries. The WEB is designed to integrate with government sponsored and local benefits and provide a monthly benefit to vice presidents upon retirement from the Company. Each year a plan participant accrued and was fully vested in one-twentieth of the targeted benefits expressed as a percentage set by the Company for that year. Upon retirement, a participant receives a monthly benefit payment equal to the sum of the percentages accrued over such participant’s term of employment, up to a maximum of 20 years, multiplied by the participant’s highest average monthly salary during the 36 consecutive months in the final 72 months of active full-time employment through June 2003. In June 2003, the Company froze the WEB, so as to not allow new participants, future accruals and future salary increases.

Deferred Compensation Plans

The following tables reconcile the benefit obligation for the deferred compensation plans:


	Year Ended April 30,
	2015			2014			2013
	(in thousands)
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	82,153		$	85,562		$	78,479
Interest cost		2,835			2,566			2,868
Actuarial loss (gain)		4,863			(294	)		9,420
Benefits paid		(5,975	)		(5,681	)		(5,205	)

Benefit obligation, end of year		83,876			82,153			85,562
Less: current portion of benefit obligation		(5,554	)		(5,593	)		(5,182	)

Non-current benefit obligation	$	78,322		$	76,560		$	80,380

The components of net periodic benefits costs are as follows:


	Year Ended April 30,
	2015		2014		2013
	(in thousands)
Interest cost	$	2,835	$	2,566	$	2,868
Amortization of actuarial loss		3,029		3,111		2,357

Net periodic benefit cost	$	5,864	$	5,677	$	5,225

The weighted-average assumptions used in calculating the benefit obligations were as follows:


	Year Ended April 30,
	2015			2014			2013
Discount rate, beginning of year		3.60	%		3.12	%		3.79	%
Discount rate, end of year		3.28	%		3.60	%		3.12	%
Rate of compensation increase		0.00	%		0.00	%		0.00	%

Pension Plan

The following tables reconcile the benefit obligation for the pension plan:


	Year Ended April 30,
	2015			2014			2013
	(in thousands)
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	4,424		$	4,536		$	4,214
Interest cost		154			137			154
Actuarial loss		1,001			92			426
Benefits paid		(317	)		(341	)		(258	)

Benefit obligation, end of year		5,262			4,424			4,536
Less: current portion of benefit obligation		(278	)		(274	)		(232	)

Non-current benefit obligation	$	4,984		$	4,150		$	4,304

The components of net periodic benefits costs are as follows:


	Year Ended April 30,
	2015		2014		2013
	(in thousands)
Interest cost	$	154	$	137	$	154
Amortization of actuarial loss		21		8		18

Net periodic benefit cost	$	175	$	145	$	172

The weighted-average assumptions used in calculating the benefit obligations were as follows:


	Year Ended April 30,
	2015			2014			2013
Discount rate, beginning of year		3.60	%		3.12	%		3.79	%
Discount rate, end of year		3.28	%		3.60	%		3.12	%
Rate of compensation increase		0.00	%		0.00	%		0.00	%

Benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid over the next ten years as follows:


Year Ending April 30,	Deferred Compensation Plans		Pension Benefits
	(in thousands)
2016	$	6,487	$	322
2017		6,418		328
2018		6,192		331
2019		6,096		327
2020		6,375		331
2021-2025		30,904		1,487

During fiscal 2016, the Company expects to recognize $2.9 million in net periodic benefit expense from deferred compensation and pension plans that will be transferred from accumulated other comprehensive income through the amortization of actuarial losses in the consolidated statements of income.

International Retirement Plans

The Company also maintains various retirement plans and other miscellaneous deferred compensation arrangements in eight foreign jurisdictions. The aggregate of the long-term benefit obligation accrued at April 30, 2015 and 2014 is $2.8 million for 393 participants and $3.7 million for 383 participants, respectively. The Company’s contribution to these plans was $0.5 million and $0.6 million in fiscal 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Executive Capital Accumulation Plan

The Company’s ECAP is intended to provide certain employees an opportunity to defer salary and/or bonus on a pre-tax basis or make an after-tax contribution. In addition, the Company, as part of its compensation philosophy, makes discretionary contributions into the ECAP and such contributions may be granted to key employees annually based on the employee’s performance. Certain key management may also receive Company ECAP contributions upon commencement of employment. The Company amortizes these contributions on a straight-line basis over the service period, generally a four year period. Participants have the ability to allocate their deferrals among a number of investment options and may receive their benefits at termination, retirement or “in service” either in a lump sum or in quarterly installments over five, ten or fifteen years. The ECAP amounts that are expected to be paid to employees over the next 12 months are classified as a current liability included in compensation and benefits payable on the accompanying balance sheet.

The Company made contributions to the ECAP during fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, of $19.1 million, $17.2 million and $20.0 million, respectively.

The ECAP is accounted for whereby the changes in the fair value of the vested amounts owed to the participants are adjusted with a corresponding charge (or credit) to compensation and benefits costs. During fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, the deferred compensation liability increased; therefore, the Company recognized compensation expense of $5.9 million, $8.9 million and $6.3 million, respectively. Offsetting these increases in compensation and benefits expense was an increase in the fair value of marketable securities classified as trading (held in trust to satisfy obligations under certain deferred compensation plan liabilities) of $8.8 million, $9.5 million and $7.6 million in fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively, recorded in other income, net on the consolidated statements of income.

Changes in the ECAP liability were as follows:


	Year Ended April 30,
	2015			2014
	(in thousands)
Balance, beginning of year	$	89,308		$	75,913
Employee contributions		3,048			2,748
Amortization of employer contributions		12,378			11,467
Gain on investment		5,871			8,884
Employee distributions		(10,295	)		(9,044	)
Exchange rate fluctuations		(849	)		(660	)

Balance, end of year		99,461			89,308
Less: current portion		(12,182	)		(4,510	)

Non-current portion, end of year	$	87,279		$	84,798

As of April 30, 2015 and 2014, the unamortized portion of the Company contributions to the ECAP was $29.7 million and $28.3 million, respectively.

Defined Contribution Plan

The Company has a defined contribution plan (“401(k) plan”) for eligible employees. Participants may contribute up to 50% of their base compensation as defined in the plan agreement. In addition, the Company has the option to make matching contributions. The Company intends to make matching contributions related to fiscal 2015 in fiscal 2016. The Company made a $1.6 million matching contribution in fiscal 2015 related to contributions made by employees in fiscal 2014 and a $1.2 million matching contribution in fiscal 2014 related to contributions made by employees in fiscal 2013. The Company made no contributions in fiscal 2013.

Company Owned Life Insurance

The Company purchased COLI contracts insuring the lives of certain employees eligible to participate in the deferred compensation and pension plans as a means of funding benefits under such plans. The gross CSV of these contracts of $172.3 million and $167.2 million is offset by outstanding policy loans of $69.6 million and $72.9 million in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of April 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Total death benefits payable, net of loans under COLI contracts, were $216.5 million and $214.2 million at April 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Management intends to use the future death benefits from these insurance contracts to fund the deferred compensation and pension arrangements; however, there may not be a direct correlation between the timing of the future cash receipts and disbursements under these arrangements. The CSV value of the underlying COLI investments increased by $10.5 million, $8.2 million and $6.5 million during fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively, recorded as a decrease in compensation and benefits expense. In addition, certain policies are held in trusts to provide additional benefit security for the deferred compensation and pension plans, excluding the WEB. As of April 30, 2015, COLI contracts with a net CSV of $72.2 million and death benefits payable, net of loans, of $123.8 million were held in trust for these purposes.