Retirement Plans

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Retirement Plans

11. Retirement Plans

The Company offers a qualified defined benefit pension plan, the Hancock Whitney Corporation Pension Plan and Trust Agreement (“Pension Plan”), covering certain eligible associates. Eligibility is based on minimum age and service-related requirements. The Pension Plan excludes any individual hired or rehired by the Company after June 30, 2017 from eligibility to participate, and the accrued benefits of any participant in the Pension Plan whose combined age plus years of service as of January 1, 2018 totaled less than 55 were frozen as of January 1, 2018 and will not thereafter 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 also offers a defined contribution retirement benefit plan (401(k) plan), the Hancock Whitney Corporation 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. Beginning January 1, 2018, the Company makes an additional basic contribution to associates hired or rehired after June 30, 2017 in an amount equal to 2% of the associate’s eligible compensation. For Pension Plan participants whose benefits were frozen as of January 1, 2018, the 401(k) Plan provides an enhanced Company contribution in the amount of 2%, 4% or 6% of such participant’s eligible compensation, based on the participant’s current age and years of service with the Company. Participants vest in 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, under which accrued benefits were frozen as of December 31, 2012 and, as such, no future benefits are accrued under this plan.

The Company sponsors defined benefit post-retirement 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
For The Three Months Ended June 30,	2021			2020			2021			2020
Service cost	$	2,926		$	3,208		$	21		$	28
Interest cost		2,970			4,641			67			107
Expected return on plan assets		(11,333	)		(12,797	)		—			—
Amortization of net loss and prior service costs		1,654			1,853			(163	)		(141	)
Special termination benefits		16,052			—			4,137			—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	12,269		$	(3,095	)	$	4,062		$	(6	)

							Other Post-
(in thousands)	Pension Benefits						Retirement Benefits
For the Six Months Ended June 30,	2021			2020			2021			2020
Service cost	$	6,376		$	6,483		$	48		$	50
Interest cost		6,430			8,423			166			271
Expected return on plan assets		(23,391	)		(24,097	)		—			—
Amortization of net loss and prior service costs		3,754			3,314			(309	)		(370	)
Special termination benefits		16,052			—			4,137			—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	9,221		$	(5,877	)	$	4,042		$	(49	)

During the second quarter of 2021, the Company completed a Voluntary Early Retirement Incentive Program (VERIP), which was accepted by approximately 260 eligible Pension Plan participants. The event constituted a curtailment of the Pension Plan and resulted in a re-measurement of the projected benefit obligation. The program had two components: a supplemental cash incentive, substantially all of which was paid through the Pension Plan with existing plan assets, and coverage in a post-retirement medical plan, with each component having specific age and years of service requirements. The impact of offering these incentives is classified as special termination benefits in the table above. As of the re-measurement date of April 30, 2021, Pension Plan assets totaled $808 million and the benefit obligation totaled $597 million.