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
	2018			2017			2018		2017		2018			2017			2018		2017
Service cost	$	347		$	358		$	10	$	13	$	1,041		$	1,074		$	31	$	40
Interest cost	798			905			33		43		2,395			2,716			98		129
Expected return on plan assets	(991		)	(985		)	—		—		(2,972		)	(2,955		)	—		—
Net amortization of prior service cost	—			—			—		—		1			1			—		—
Net amortization of net (gain) loss	362			301			—		—		1,085			903			—		—
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	516		$	579		$	43	$	56	$	1,550		$	1,739		$	129	$	169

Employer Contributions

First Financial Corporation previously disclosed in its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 that it expected to contribute $2.3 million and $813 thousand respectively to its Pension Plan and ESOP and $264 thousand to the Post Retirement Health Benefits Plan in 2018. Contributions of $1.7 million have been made to the Pension Plan thus far in 2018. Contributions of $183 thousand have been made through the first nine months of 2018 for the Post Retirement Health Benefits plan. No contributions have been made in 2018 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 2018 and 2017 there has been $1.3 million and $1.3 million of expense accrued for potential contributions to these alternative retirement benefit options.