10. RETIREMENT FUND AND PROFIT SHARING PLAN

The Company maintains the Bel Fuse Inc. Employees’ Savings Plan, a defined contribution plan that is intended to meet the applicable requirements for tax-qualification under sections 401(a) and (k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 amounted to $0.3 million in both periods. The Company’s matching contribution is made in the form of Bel Fuse Inc. Class A common stock. As of March 31, 2019, the plan owned 121,261 and 122,056 shares of Bel Fuse Inc. Class A and Class B common stock, respectively.

The Company's subsidiaries in Asia have a retirement fund covering substantially all of their Hong Kong based full-time employees. The expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 amounted to approximately $0.1 million in both periods. As of March 31, 2019, the plan owned 3,323 and 17,342 shares of Bel Fuse Inc. Class A and Class B common stock, respectively.

The Company maintains a SERP, which is designed to provide a limited group of key management and other key employees of the Company with supplemental retirement and death benefits. As discussed in Note 3 above, the Company has investments in a rabbi trust which are intended to fund the obligations of the SERP.

The components of SERP expense are as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2019		2018
Service cost	$	144	$	183
Interest cost		185		166
Net amortization		48		111
Net periodic benefit cost	$	377	$	460

The service cost component of net benefit cost is presented within cost of sales or selling, general and administrative expense on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations, in accordance with where compensation cost for the related associate is reported. All other components of net benefit cost, including interest cost and net amortization noted above, are presented within other income/expense, net in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.

The following amounts are recognized net of tax in accumulated other comprehensive loss:

	March 31,		December 31,
	2019		2018
Prior service cost	$	873	$	918
Net loss		1,974		1,977
	$	2,847	$	2,895