Employee Benefit Plans:

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans:

Employee Benefit Plans:

401(k) Plan:

The Company has a defined contribution retirement plan that covers its eligible employees (the "Plan"). The Plan is a defined contribution retirement plan covering eligible employees of the Macerich Property Management Company LLC and participating affiliates. The Plan is qualified in accordance with section 401(a) of the Code. Effective January 1, 1995, the Plan was amended to constitute a qualified cash or deferred arrangement under section 401(k) of the Code, whereby employees can elect to defer compensation subject to Internal Revenue Service withholding rules. This Plan was further amended effective as of February 1, 1999 to add The Macerich Company Common Stock Fund as a new investment alternative under the Plan. A total of 150,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance under the Plan, which was subsequently increased by an additional 500,000 shares in February 2013. On January 1, 2004, the Plan adopted the "Safe Harbor" provision under Sections 401(k)(12) and 401(m)(11) of the Code. In accordance with adopting these provisions, the Company makes matching contributions equal to 100 percent of the first three percent of compensation deferred by a participant and 50 percent of the next two percent of compensation deferred by a participant. During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, these matching contributions made by the Company were $3,253, $3,017 and $3,094, respectively. Contributions and matching contributions to the Plan by the plan sponsor and/or participating affiliates are recognized as an expense of the Company in the period that they are made.

Deferred Compensation Plans:

The Company has established deferred compensation plans under which key executives of the Company may elect to defer receiving a portion of their cash compensation otherwise payable in one calendar year until a later year. The Company may, as determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion prior to the beginning of the plan year, credit a participant's account with a matching amount equal to a percentage of the participant's deferral. The Company contributed $845, $843 and $648 to the plans during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Contributions are recognized as compensation in the periods they are made.