Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan

We allow our U.S.-based officers and director-level employees to defer a portion of their compensation under the Altera Corporation Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan (the “NQDC Plan”). Our Retirement Plans Committee administers the NQDC Plan. As of March 27, 2015, there were 122 participants in the NQDC Plan who self-direct their investments, subject to certain limitations. In the event we become insolvent, the NQDC Plan assets are subject to the claims of our general creditors. Since the inception of the NQDC Plan, we have not made any contributions to the NQDC Plan, and we have no commitments to do so in the future. There are no NQDC Plan provisions that provide for any guarantees or minimum return on investments. NQDC Plan participants are prohibited from investing NQDC Plan contributions in Altera common stock. The balance of the NQDC Plan assets and related obligations was $85.3 million and $83.8 million as of March 27, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.

Investment income or loss from the NQDC Plan are recorded as Gain on deferred compensation plan securities in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income. The investment (gain)/loss also represents an (increase)/decrease in the future payout to participants and is recorded as Compensation expense — deferred compensation plan in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Compensation expense/(benefit) associated with our NQDC Plan obligations is offset by the (gain)/loss from the related securities. The net effect of investment income or loss and related compensation expense or benefit has no impact on our income before income taxes, net income or cash balances.

The following tables summarize the fair value of our NQDC Plan assets by significant investment category:



(In thousands)	March 27, 2015		December 31, 2014

Deferred compensation plan assets: (1)

Level 1:
Restricted cash equivalents	$	20,226	$	14,412
Equity securities	30,314		33,521
Mutual funds	32,881		33,764
Subtotal	83,421		81,697

Level 2:
Fixed income securities	1,880		2,082
Total	$	85,301	$	83,779

(1) Included in Deferred compensation plan—marketable securities and Deferred compensation plan—restricted cash equivalents in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of March 27, 2015 and December 31, 2014.