9. Retirement Plans

Effective January 1, 2013, the Company adopted one qualified defined benefit pension plan covering all eligible employees. Eligibility is based on minimum age and service-related requirements as well as job classification. The consolidated plan replaced the separate qualified plans covering legacy Hancock employees (Hancock Plan) and legacy Whitney employees (Whitney Plan). The new qualified plan terms are substantially the same for legacy Hancock employees as those in effect at December 31, 2012 under the Hancock Plan. Retirement benefits for eligible legacy Whitney employees under the new plan will be based on the employee’s accrued benefit under the Whitney Plan as of December 31, 2012 plus any benefit accrued under the new plan based on years of service and compensation beginning in 2013. The Whitney Plan had been closed to new participants since 2008, and benefit accruals had been frozen for all participants other than those meeting certain vesting, age and years of service criteria as of December 31, 2008. Accrued benefits under the nonqualified plan covering certain legacy Whitney employees were frozen as of December 31, 2012 and no future benefits will be accrued under this plan.

The Company also 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 table shows the components of net periodic benefits cost included in expense for the plans.


	Three Months ended September 30,
	2013			2012			2013		2012
							Other Post-
	Pension benefits						retirement Benefits
Service cost	$	3,969		$	3,249		$	52	$	48
Interest cost		4,151			4,301			327		361
Expected return on plan assets		(6,982	)		(6,350	)		—		—
Amortization of prior service cost		—			—			—		(13	)
Amortization of net loss		1,605			1,645			459		176
Amortization of transition obligation		—			—			—		1

Net periodic benefit cost	$	2,743		$	2,845		$	838	$	573


	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2013			2012			2013		2012
	Pension benefits						Other Post- retirement Benefits
Service cost	$	11,905		$	9,743		$	162	$	144
Interest cost		12,457			12,904			987		1,083
Expected return on plan assets		(20,946	)		(19,049	)		—		—
Amortization of prior service cost		—			—			—		(41	)
Amortization of net loss		4,813			4,936			1,320		530
Amortization of transition obligation		—			—			—		4

Net periodic benefit cost	$	8,229		$	8,534		$	2,469	$	1,720

The Company anticipates a total contribution to the pension plan of $10 million for 2013.

Effective January 1, 2013, the Company also combined the Hancock and Whitney defined contribution retirement benefit plans (401(k) plans). Under the combined plan, the Company matches 100% of the first 1% of compensation saved by a participant, and 50% of the next 5% of compensation saved. Under the prior Hancock 401(k) plan, the Company matched 50% of a participant’s savings up to 6% of compensation, while under the prior Whitney 401(k) plan, the Company matched 100% of a participant’s savings up to 4% of compensation. The Company could also make a discretionary profit sharing contribution under the Whitney plan on behalf of participants who were either ineligible to participate in the Whitney qualified defined-benefit pension plan or subject to the freeze in benefit accruals under that plan. With the adoption of the new qualified pension plan discussed above and the combined 401(k) plan, the discretionary profit-sharing contribution is no longer available for plan years beginning in 2013.