13.

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The Company provides retirement and other post-retirement benefits to certain of its employees through defined benefit pension plans (the “pension plans”) and, in the U.S., a partially funded contributory post-retirement plan covering qualifying U.S. employees (the “medical plan” and together with the pension plans, the “post-retirement plans”). The Company also offers defined contribution plans to its employees. The post-retirement plans generally provide benefits to participants based on average levels of compensation. Expenses related to the Company’s employee benefit plans are included in “compensation and benefits” expense on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

Employer Contributions to Pension Plans—The Company’s funding policy for its U.S. and non-U.S. pension plans is to fund when required or when applicable upon an agreement with the plans’ trustees (the “Trustees”). Management also evaluates from time to time whether to make voluntary contributions to the plans.

On April 30, 2012, the Company and the Trustees of the U.K. pension plans concluded the December 31, 2010 triennial valuations of the plans. In connection with such valuations and a previously negotiated agreement with the Trustees, the Company and the Trustees agreed upon pension funding terms (the “agreement”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to make plan contributions of 1 million British pounds during each year from 2012 through 2020 inclusive and to make annual contributions of 1 million British pounds into an account security arrangement during each year from 2014 through 2020 inclusive. It was further agreed that, to the extent that the value of the plans’ assets falls short of the funding target for June 1, 2020 that has been agreed upon with the Trustees, the assets from the account security arrangement would be released into the plans at that date. Additionally, the Company agreed to fund the expenses of administering the plans, including certain regulator levies and the cost of other professional advisors to the plans. The terms of the agreement are subject to adjustment based on the results of subsequent triennial valuations, the first of which is currently underway. The aggregate amount in the account security arrangement was approximately $18,200 and $16,900 at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively, and has been recorded in “cash deposited with clearing organizations and other segregated cash” on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of financial condition. Income on the account security arrangement accretes to the Company and is recorded in interest income.

The following table summarizes the components of net periodic benefit cost (credit) related to the Company’s post-retirement plans for the three month and nine month periods ended September 30, 2014 and 2013:


	Pension Plans						Medical Plan
	Three Months Ended September 30,
	2014			2013			2014			2013
Components of Net Benefit Cost (Credit):
Service cost	$	267		$	315		$	7		$	12
Interest cost		7,636			6,744			49			46
Expected return on plan assets		(8,253	)		(6,701	)		–			–
Amortization of:
Prior service cost		708			708			–			–
Net actuarial loss (gain)		1,096			919			(131	)		–

Net benefit cost (credit)	$	1,454		$	1,985		$	(75	)	$	58


	Pension Plans						Medical Plan
	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2014			2013			2014			2013
Components of Net Benefit Cost (Credit):
Service cost	$	718		$	938		$	24		$	39
Interest cost		22,807			20,193			146			137
Expected return on plan assets		(24,560	)		(20,090	)		–			–
Amortization of:
Prior service cost		2,176			2,114			–			–
Net actuarial loss (gain)		3,325			2,745			(396	)		–

Net benefit cost (credit)	$	4,466		$	5,900		$	(226	)	$	176