Note 10. Benefit Plans

The Bank has a noncontributory, defined benefit pension plan for all full-time employees over 21 years of age with at least one year of credited service and hired prior to May 1, 2011. Effective May 1, 2011, the plan was frozen to new participants. Only individuals employed on or before April 30, 2011 were eligible to become participants in the plan upon satisfaction of the eligibility requirements. Benefits are generally based upon years of service and average compensation for the five highest-paid consecutive years of service. The Bank’s funding practice has been to make at least the minimum required annual contribution permitted by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

On September 14, 2016, the defined benefit pension plan was amended to be terminated and the amendment has been submitted to the Internal Revenue Service and the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation for approval. Under the amendment, benefit accruals ceased as of November 30, 2016. Although an application for termination approval is in process, the date of possible Internal Revenue Service approval is unknown and there can be no assurance of when the plan will be terminated. The funding status of the plan upon termination is not expected to be significantly different from the funded status disclosed in Note 13 of the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. The benefit obligation is not expected to change at termination and the fair value of assets at termination is not expected to change significantly at termination as the assets are expected to remain in cash and equivalents through the termination date.

Components of the net periodic benefit cost of the plan for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows (in thousands):


	For the three months ended March 31,
	2017			2016
Service cost	$	—		$	102
Interest cost		21			83
Expected return on plan assets		(9	)		(74	)
Recognized net actuarial loss		—			21

Net periodic benefit cost	$	12		$	132

The Company previously disclosed in its consolidated financial statements in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, that it expected to make a contribution of $2.1 million upon termination.

In addition to the defined benefit pension plan, the Company maintains a 401(k) plan and an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) for eligible employees. On September 14, 2016, the ESOP was amended to freeze the plan to new participants and to cease all contributions, effective December 31, 2016. The amendment also directs matching contributions and certain other retirement contributions made by the Company to the 401(k) plan. The ESOP shall be maintained as a frozen plan and continue to be invested in Company stock and such other assets as permitted under the ESOP and Trust Agreement for the benefit of participants and their beneficiaries.

See Note 13 of the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 for additional information about the Company’s benefit plans.