Retirement and Benefit Plans

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

The following table presents the pension benefit costs:



	Three Months Ended June 30						Six Months Ended June 30
	2019			2018			2019			2018
	(thousands)
Service cost	$	161		$	198		$	322		$	403
Interest cost	1,809			3,312			3,625			7,323
Expected return on plan assets	(1,475		)	(3,292		)	(2,949		)	(7,880		)
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss	(44		)	356			(87		)	1,177
Plan settlement loss	—			12,003			—			12,003
Net periodic benefit expense	$	451		$	12,577		$	911		$	13,026

Service cost is recorded in the same income statement line items as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered, and the other components of net periodic benefit expense are recorded in "Pension expense (excluding service costs)" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

During the six months ended June 30, 2019, we contributed $0.9 million in cash to the pension plans. For the remainder of 2019, we expect to make approximately $0.9 million in cash contributions to the pension plans.

On April 25, 2018, Boise Cascade transferred $151.8 million of its pension plan assets to The Prudential Insurance Company of America (Prudential) for the purchase of a group annuity contract. Under the arrangement, Prudential assumed ongoing responsibility for administration and benefit payments for approximately one-third of Boise Cascade’s U.S. qualified pension plan projected benefit obligations outstanding at the time of the transaction. As a result of the transaction, the Company recognized a non-cash pension settlement charge of $12.0 million during the three months ended June 30, 2018.