Barnwell sponsors a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (“Pension Plan”) covering substantially all of its U.S. employees, with benefits based on years of service and the employee’s highest consecutive 5 years average earnings. Barnwell’s funding policy is intended to provide for both benefits attributed to service to date and for those expected to be earned in the future. In addition, Barnwell sponsors a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”), a noncontributory supplemental retirement benefit plan which covers certain current and former employees of Barnwell for amounts exceeding the limits allowed under the Pension Plan, and a postretirement medical insurance benefits plan (“Postretirement Medical”) covering officers of Barnwell Industries, Inc., the parent company, who have attained at least 20 years of service of which at least 10 years were at the position of Vice President or higher, their spouses and qualifying dependents.

In December 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a resolution to freeze all future benefit accruals for all participants under the Company’s Pension Plan and SERP effective December 31, 2019. Consequently, current participants in the Pension Plan and SERP no longer accrue new benefits under the plans and new employees of the Company are no longer eligible to enter the Pension Plan and SERP as participants after December 31, 2019. The freezing of the Pension Plan and SERP triggered a

curtailment which required a remeasurement of the projected benefit obligations of the Pension Plan and SERP and resulted in a $1,726,000 reduction in unrecognized pension benefit costs that were previously included in accumulated other comprehensive loss, with a corresponding curtailment gain in other comprehensive income which was recorded during the year ended September 30, 2020.


	Pension				SERP				Postretirement Medical
	September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019		2020		2019
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	10,971,000	$	9,164,000	$	2,385,000	$	2,039,000	$	2,633,000	$	2,382,000
Service cost	50,000		189,000		3,000		32,000		—		—
Interest cost	304,000		372,000		63,000		78,000		80,000		99,000
Actuarial loss (gain)	504,000		1,426,000		(90,000)		236,000		134,000		161,000
Benefits paid	(153,000)		(180,000)		—		—		(8,000)		(9,000)

Curtailments	(1,396,000)		—		(330,000)		—		—		—
Benefit obligation at end of year	10,280,000		10,971,000		2,031,000		2,385,000		2,839,000		2,633,000
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	10,192,000		10,012,000		—		—		—		—
Actual return on plan assets	1,012,000		245,000		—		—		—		—
Employer contributions	—		115,000		—		—		8,000		9,000
Benefits paid	(153,000)		(180,000)		—		—		(8,000)		(9,000)

Fair value of plan assets at end of year	11,051,000		10,192,000		—		—		—		—
Funded status	$	771,000	$	(779,000)	$	(2,031,000)	$	(2,385,000)	$	(2,839,000)	$	(2,633,000)


	Pension				SERP				Postretirement Medical
	September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019		2020		2019
Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets:
Noncurrent assets	$	771,000	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Current liabilities	—		—		(32,000)		(2,000)		(9,000)		(10,000)
Noncurrent liabilities	—		(779,000)		(1,999,000)		(2,383,000)		(2,830,000)		(2,623,000)
Net amount	$	771,000	$	(779,000)	$	(2,031,000)	$	(2,385,000)	$	(2,839,000)	$	(2,633,000)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss (income) before income taxes:
Net actuarial loss	$	1,681,000	$	2,939,000	$	72,000	$	497,000	$	721,000	$	667,000
Prior service cost (credit)	—		54,000		—		(54,000)		—		—
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	1,681,000	$	2,993,000	$	72,000	$	443,000	$	721,000	$	667,000

Currently, no contributions will be made to the Pension Plan during fiscal 2021. The SERP and Postretirement Medical plans are unfunded and Barnwell funds benefits when payments are made. Expected payments under the Postretirement Medical plan and SERP for fiscal 2021 are not material.

Fluctuations in actual market returns as well as changes in general interest rates will result in changes in the market value of plan assets and may result in increased or decreased retirement benefits costs and contributions in future periods.

The Pension Plan actuarial losses in fiscal 2020 were primarily due to a decrease in the discount rate. The SERP actuarial gains in fiscal 2020 were primarily due to the freezing of the plan benefit accruals which decreased the net periodic cost and improved the funded position. The Postretirement Medical plan actuarial losses in fiscal 2020 were primarily due to a decrease in the discount rate.

The Pension Plan actuarial losses in fiscal 2019 were primarily due to a decrease in the discount rate and actual investment returns that were lower than the assumed rate of return. The SERP actuarial losses in fiscal 2019 were primarily due to a decrease in the discount rate. The Postretirement Medical plan actuarial losses in fiscal 2019 were primarily due to a decrease in the discount rate and an increase in the medical insurance premium assumptions.


	Pension		SERP		Postretirement Medical
	Year ended September 30,
	2020	2019	2020	2019	2020	2019
Assumptions used to determine fiscal year-end benefit obligations:
Discount rate	2.54%	3.06%	2.54%	3.06%	2.54%	3.06%
Rate of compensation increase	N/A	4.00%	N/A	4.00%	N/A	N/A
Assumptions used to determine net benefit costs (years ended):
Discount rate	3.06% / 3.15%*	4.15%	3.06% / 3.15%*	4.15%	3.06%	4.15%
Expected return on plan assets	6.50%	6.50%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Rate of compensation increase	4.00%	4.00%	4.00%	4.00%	N/A	N/A

We select a discount rate by reference to yields available on the FTSE High Grade Credit Index at our consolidated balance sheet date. The expected return on plan assets is primarily based on historical rates of return.


	Pension				SERP				Postretirement Medical
	Year ended September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019		2020		2019
Net periodic benefit (income) cost for the year:
Service cost	$	50,000	$	189,000	$	3,000	$	32,000	$	—	$	—
Interest cost	304,000		372,000		63,000		78,000		80,000		99,000
Expected return on plan assets	(680,000)		(648,000)		—		—		—		—
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	1,000		6,000		(1,000)		(6,000)		—		—
Amortization of net actuarial loss	35,000		2,000		5,000		—		80,000		53,000
Curtailment cost (income)	53,000		—		(53,000)		—		—		—
Net periodic benefit (income) cost	$	(237,000)	$	(79,000)	$	17,000	$	104,000	$	160,000	$	152,000

The accumulated benefit obligation differs from the projected benefit obligation in that it assumes future compensation levels will remain unchanged. The accumulated benefit obligation for the Pension Plan was $10,280,000 and $9,600,000 at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The accumulated benefit obligation for the SERP was $2,031,000 and $2,032,000 at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.


	Pension		SERP		Postretirement Medical
Expected Benefit Payments:
Fiscal year ending September 30, 2021	$	272,000	$	32,000	$	9,000
Fiscal year ending September 30, 2022	$	391,000	$	63,000	$	20,000
Fiscal year ending September 30, 2023	$	455,000	$	90,000	$	33,000
Fiscal year ending September 30, 2024	$	517,000	$	117,000	$	50,000
Fiscal year ending September 30, 2025	$	508,000	$	116,000	$	69,000
Fiscal years ending September 30, 2026 through 2030	$	2,653,000	$	590,000	$	391,000

A 7.00% annual rate of increase in the per capita cost of covered health care benefits was assumed for fiscal 2020. This assumption is based on the plans’ recent experience. It is assumed that the rate will decrease gradually to 5% for fiscal 2028 and remain level thereafter. The assumed health care cost trend rates have a significant effect on the amounts reported for the postretirement medical obligations. A one-percentage-point change in the assumed health care cost trend rates would have the following effects:

Management communicates periodically with its professional investment advisors to establish investment policies, direct investments and select investment options. The overall investment objective of the Pension Plan is to attain a diversified combination of investments that provides long-term growth in the assets of the plan to fund future benefit obligations while managing risk in order to meet current benefit obligations. Generally, interest and dividends received provide cash flows to fund current benefit obligations. Longer-term obligations are generally estimated to be provided for by growth in equity securities. The Company’s investment policy permits investments in a diversified mix of U.S. and international equities, fixed income securities and cash equivalents.

Barnwell’s investments in fixed income securities include corporate bonds, preferred securities, and fixed income exchange-traded funds. The Company’s investments in equity securities primarily include domestic and international large-cap companies, as well as, domestic and international equity securities exchange-traded funds.

Actual investment allocations may vary from our target allocations from time to time due to prevailing market conditions. We periodically review our actual investment allocations and rebalance our investments to our target allocations as dictated by current and anticipated market conditions and required cash flows.

We categorize plan assets into three levels based upon the assumptions used to price the assets. Level 1 provides the most reliable measure of fair value, whereas Level 3 requires significant management judgment in determining the fair value. Equity securities and exchange-traded funds are valued by obtaining quoted prices on recognized and highly liquid exchanges. Fixed income securities are valued based upon the closing price reported in the active market in which the security is traded. All of our plan assets are categorized as Level 1 assets, and as such, the actual market value is used to determine the fair value of assets.


			Fair Value Measurements Using:
	Carrying Amount as of September 30, 2020		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Financial Assets:


Corporate bonds	$	1,000	$	1,000	$	—	$	—
Fixed income exchange-traded funds	5,762,000		5,762,000		—		—

Equity securities exchange-traded funds	352,000		352,000		—		—
Equities	4,936,000		4,936,000		—		—
Total	$	11,051,000	$	11,051,000	$	—	$	—

			Fair Value Measurements Using:
	Carrying Amount as of September 30, 2019		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Financial Assets:
Cash	$	4,000	$	4,000	$	—	$	—

Corporate bonds	1,000		1,000		—		—
Fixed income exchange-traded funds	3,859,000		3,859,000		—		—

Equity securities exchange-traded funds	547,000		547,000		—		—
Equities	5,781,000		5,781,000		—		—
Total	$	10,192,000	$	10,192,000	$	—	$	—