EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plan Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Income

As a result of the plan’s actuarial projections, First Financial recorded expense as set forth in the following table. The amounts are recognized in First Financial’s Consolidated Statements of Income related to the Company's pension plan.

	Three months ended				Nine months ended
	September 30,				September 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2020		2019		2020		2019
Service cost	$	2,079	$	1,649	$	5,855	$	4,944
Interest cost	624		694		1,831		2,083
Expected return on assets	(2,443)		(2,429)		(7,382)		(7,288)
Amortization of prior service cost	(106)		(104)		(308)		(310)
Net actuarial loss	625		451		1,709		1,352
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	$	779	$	261	$	1,705	$	781