Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost



	Three Months Ended September 30,										Nine Months Ended September 30,
	(000's)										(000's)
	Pension Benefits						Post-Retirement Health Benefits				Pension Benefits						Post-Retirement Health Benefits
	2017			2016			2017		2016		2017			2016			2017		2016
Service cost	$	358		$	470		$	13	$	14	$	1,074		$	1,411		$	40	$	41
Interest cost	905			932			43		46		2,716			2,797			129		139
Expected return on plan assets	(985		)	(857		)	—		—		(2,955		)	(2,572		)	—		—
Net amortization of prior service cost	—			—			—		—		1			1			—		—
Net amortization of net (gain) loss	301			484			—		—		903			1,451			—		—
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	579		$	1,029		$	56	$	60	$	1,739		$	3,088		$	169	$	180

Employer Contributions

First Financial Corporation previously disclosed in its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016 that it expected to contribute $2.5 million and $858 thousand respectively to its Pension Plan and ESOP and $260 thousand to the Post Retirement Health Benefits Plan in 2017. Contributions of $1.9 million have been made to the Pension Plan thus far in 2017. Contributions of $167 thousand have been made through the first nine months of 2017 for the Post Retirement Health Benefits plan. No contributions have been made in 2017 for the ESOP. The Pension plan was frozen for most employees at the end of 2012 and for those employees there will be discretionary contributions to the ESOP plan and a 401K plan in place of the former Pension benefit. In the first nine months of 2017 and 2016 there has been $1.3 million and $1.2 million of expense accrued for potential contributions to these alternative retirement benefit options.