12. Retirement Plans

The Company sponsors a qualified defined benefit pension plan, the Hancock Holding Company Pension Plan and Trust Agreement (“Pension Plan”), covering certain eligible associates. Eligibility is based on minimum age and service-related requirements. During the second quarter of 2017, the Pension Plan was amended to exclude any individual hired or rehired by the Company after June 30, 2017 from eligibility to participate. The Pension Plan amendment further provided that the accrued benefits of each participant in the Pension Plan whose combined age plus years of service as of January 1, 2018 totals less than 55 were to be frozen as of January 1, 2018 and therefore not increase. The Company makes contributions to the Pension Plan in amounts sufficient to meet funding requirements set forth in federal employee benefit and tax laws, plus such additional amounts as the Company may determine to be appropriate. The Company was not required to make a contribution to the Pension Plan in 2017, and does not anticipate making a contribution in 2018.

The Company also offers a defined contribution retirement benefit plan (401(k) plan), the Hancock Holding Company 401(k) Savings Plan and Trust Agreement (“401(k) Plan”), that covers substantially all associates who have been employed 60 days and meet a minimum age requirement and employment classification criteria. The Company matches 100% of the first 1% of compensation saved by a participant, and 50% of the next 5% of compensation saved. Newly eligible associates are automatically enrolled at an initial 3% savings rate unless the associate actively opts out of participation in the plan. The 401(k) Plan was also amended during the second quarter of 2017 for participants whose benefits are frozen under the Pension Plan to add an enhanced Company contribution beginning January 1, 2018, in the amount of 2%, 4% or 6% of such participant’s eligible compensation, based on the participant’s age and years of service with the Company. The 401(k) Plan’s amendment further provides that the Company will contribute to the benefit of those associates of the Company hired or rehired after June 30, 2017 and those associates of the Company never enrolled in the Pension Plan an additional basic contribution in an amount equal to 2% of the associate’s eligible compensation beginning January 1, 2018. Participants will vest in the new basic and enhanced Company contributions upon completion of three years of service.

The Company sponsors a nonqualified defined benefit plan covering certain legacy Whitney employees that was frozen as of December 31, 2012 and no future benefits are accrued under this plan.

The Company sponsors defined benefit postretirement plans for both legacy Hancock and legacy Whitney employees that provide health care and life insurance benefits. Benefits under the Hancock plan are not available to employees hired on or after January 1, 2000. Benefits under the Whitney plan are restricted to retirees who were already receiving benefits at the time of plan amendments in 2007 or active participants who were eligible to receive benefits as of December 31, 2007.

The following tables show the components of net periodic benefits cost included in expense for the plans for the periods indicated.



					Other Post-
(in thousands)	Pension Benefits				Retirement Benefits
Three months Ended March 31,	2018		2017		2018		2017
Service cost	$	2,925	$	3,750	$	35	$	48
Interest cost		3,923		4,123		137		180
Expected return on plan assets		(9,700)		(8,750)		—		—
Amortization of net loss and prior service costs		1,326		1,435		(149)		(48)
Net periodic benefit cost (reduction of cost)	$	(1,526)	$	558	$	23	$	180

Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU 2017-07, “Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Costs.” In accordance with the Update, only the service component of net periodic benefit cost is included in the Employee Benefits line item on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. All other components have been included in Other Noninterest Expense. Prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current presentation.