10) PENSION PLAN

We maintain contributory and non-contributory retirement plans for eligible employees. Our contributions to the contributory plan amounted to $50.1 million, $45.7 million and $40.7 million in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The non-contributory plan is a defined benefit pension plan which covers employees of one of our subsidiaries. The benefits are based on years of service and the employee’s highest compensation for any five years of employment. Our funding policy is to contribute annually at least the minimum amount that should be funded in accordance with the provisions of ERISA.

For defined benefit pension plans, the benefit obligation is the “projected benefit obligation”, the actuarial present value, as of December 31 measurement date, of all benefits attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service rendered to that date. The amount of benefit to be paid depends on a number of future events incorporated into the pension benefit formula, including estimates of the average life of employees/survivors and average years of service rendered. It is measured based on assumptions concerning future interest rates and future compensation levels. The following table shows the reconciliation of the defined benefit pension plan as of December 31, 2017 and 2016:

	2017			2016
	(000s)
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	109,677		$	106,839
Actual return (loss) on plan assets		15,533			8,858
Benefits paid		(5,846	)		(5,651	)
Administrative expenses		(697	)		(369	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	118,667		$	109,677
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	110,949		$	118,180
Service cost		721			926
Interest cost		4,465			4,997
Benefits paid		(5,846	)		(5,651	)
Actuarial (gain) loss		5,767			(7,503	)
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	116,056		$	110,949
Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheet:
Other non-current assets		2,611
Other non-current liabilities					1,272
Total amounts recognized at end of year	$	2,611		$	1,272

	2017			2016			2015
	(000s)
Components of net periodic cost (benefit)
Service cost	$	721		$	926		$	1,051
Interest cost		4,465			4,997			4,912
Expected return on plan assets		(5,862	)		(5,708	)		(6,254	)
Amortization of actuarial loss		863			3,072			3,164
Net periodic cost	$	187		$	3,287		$	2,873

	2017	2016
Measurement Dates
Benefit obligations	12/31/2017	12/31/2016
Fair value of plan assets	12/31/2017	12/31/2016

	2017			2016
Weighted average assumptions as of December 31
Discount rate		3.60	%		4.14	%
Rate of compensation increase		4.00	%		4.00	%

	2017			2016			2015
Weighted-average assumptions for net periodic benefit cost calculations
Discount rate		4.14	%		4.34	%		3.95	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets		5.50	%		5.50	%		5.50	%
Rate of compensation increase		4.00	%		4.00	%		4.00	%

The accumulated benefit obligation for our pension plan represents the actuarial present value of benefits based on employee service and compensation as of a certain date and does not include an assumption about future compensation levels. The accumulated benefit obligation for our plan was $115.9 million and $110.6 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, the fair value of plan assets exceed the accumulated benefit obligation by $2.7 million. As of December 31, 2016, the accumulated benefit obligation exceeded the fair value of plan assets by $0.9 million.

We estimate that there will be no net loss or prior service cost amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income during 2018.

In May, 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-07, "Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or its Equivalent)," which is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The standard removes the requirement to categorize investments for which fair value is measured using the net asset value (NAV) per share practical expedient within the fair value hierarchy. We have adopted this standard effective January 1, 2016, and applied the guidance retrospectively. This standard impacts financial statement disclosure only. In previous reporting periods, we disclosed the full fair value hierarchy and disclosed our pension assets as level 2 within the hierarchy. Going forward, we will disclose our pension assets by asset category reported using NAV as a practical expedient for comparative years.

The market values of our pension plan assets at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, reported using net asset value as a practical expedient, by asset category are as follows:

	2017		2016
Equities:
U.S. Large Cap	$	9,393	$	8,547
U.S. Mid Cap		2,937		2,651
U.S. Small Cap		3,005		2,669
International Developed		7,213		6,534
Emerging Markets		4,792		4,360
Fixed income:
Core Fixed Income		25,915		23,719
Long Duration Fixed Income		62,522		58,312
Real Estate:
REIT Fund		2,370		2,216
Cash/Currency:
Cash Equivalents		520		669
Total market value	$	118,667	$	109,677

To develop the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets assumption, we considered the historical returns and the future expectations for returns for each asset class, as well as the target asset allocation of the pension portfolio.

The following table shows expected benefit payments for the years ended December 31, 2018 through 2027 for our defined pension plan. There will be benefit payments under this plan beyond 2027.

Estimated Future Benefit Payments (000s)
2018	$	6,376
2019		6,578
2020		6,705
2021		6,789
2022		6,841
2023-2027		34,230
Total	$	67,519

	2017			2016
Plan Assets
Asset Category
Equity securities		23	%		23	%
Fixed income securities		75	%		75	%
Other		2	%		2	%
Total		100	%		100	%

Investment Policy, Guidelines and Objectives have been established for the defined benefit pension plan. The investment policy is in keeping with the fiduciary requirements under existing federal laws and managed in accordance with the Prudent Investor Rule. Total portfolio risk is regularly evaluated and compared to that of the plan’s policy target allocation and judged on a relative basis over a market cycle. The following asset allocation policy and ranges have been established in accordance with the overall risk and return objectives of the portfolio:

	As of 12/31/2017			Permitted Range
Total Equity		23	%	10-30%
Total Fixed Income		75	%	70-90%
Other		2	%	0-10%

In accordance with the investment policy, the portfolio will invest in high quality, large and small capitalization companies traded on national exchanges, and investment grade securities. The investment managers will not write or buy options for speculative purposes; securities may not be margined or sold short. The manager may employ futures or options for the purpose of hedging exposure, and will not purchase unregistered sectors, private placements, partnerships or commodities.